title: Development and validation of a low-cost, portable and wireless gait assessment tool.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Performing gait analysis in a clinical setting can often be challenging due to time, cost and the availability of sophisticated three-dimensional (3D) gait analysis systems. This study has developed and tested a portable wireless gait assessment tool (wi-GAT) to address these challenges.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the concurrent validity of the wi-GAT in measuring spatio-temporal gait parameters such as stride length, stride duration, cadence, double support time (DST), stance and swing time compared to a 3D Vicon motion analysis system.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten healthy volunteers participated in the study (age range 23-30 years). Spatio-temporal gait parameters were recorded simultaneously by the Vicon and the wi-GAT systems as each subject walked at their self-selected speed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The stride length and duration, cadence, stance duration and walking speed recorded using the wi-GAT showed strong agreement with those same parameters recorded by the Vicon (ICC of 0.94-0.996). A difference between the systems in registering "toe off" resulted in less agreement (ICC of 0.299-0.847) in gait parameters such as %stance and %swing and DST.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study demonstrated good concurrent validity for the wi-GAT system. The wi-GAT has the potential to be a useful assessment tool for clinicians.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK; Scottish Centre for Innovation in Spinal Cord Injury (SCISCI), Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit, Southern General Hospital, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: Catherine A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Macleod
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK; Scottish Centre for Innovation in Spinal Cord Injury (SCISCI), Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit, Southern General Hospital, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: Bernard A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Conway
authors.affiliation: Scottish Centre for Innovation in Spinal Cord Injury (SCISCI), Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit, Southern General Hospital, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Allan
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK; Scottish Centre for Innovation in Spinal Cord Injury (SCISCI), Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit, Southern General Hospital, Glasgow, UK; Physical Therapy Program, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Care Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA. Electronic address: sujay.galen@wayne.edu.
authors.forename: Sujay S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Galen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012046:Rehabilitation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013997:Time Factors; D016138:Walking; D059015:Wireless Technology / Q000191:economics; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Force sensing resistors; Gait analysis; Spatio-temporal gait parameters; Wireless sensors