title: Reliability of the step phase detection using inertial measurement units: pilot study.
abstract: The use of inertial sensors for the gait event detection during a long-distance walking, for example, on different surfaces and with different walking patterns, is important to evaluate the human locomotion. Previous studies demonstrated that gyroscopes on the shank or foot are more reliable than accelerometers and magnetometers for the event detection in case of normal walking. However, these studies did not link the events with the temporal parameters used in the clinical practice; furthermore, they did not clearly verify the optimal position for the sensors depending on walking patterns and surface conditions. The event detection quality of the sensors is compared with video, used as ground truth, according to the parameters proposed by the Gait and Clinical Movement Analysis Society. Additionally, the performance of the sensor on the foot is compared with the one on the shank. The comparison is performed considering both normal walking and deviations to the walking pattern, on different ground surfaces and with or without constraints on movements. The preliminary results show that the proposed methodology allows reliable detection of gait events, even in case of abnormal footfall and in slipping surface conditions, and that the optimal location to place the sensors is the shank.
authors.affiliation: School of Creative Science and Engineering , Waseda University , Tokyo , Japan.
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sessa
authors.affiliation: School of Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering , Loughborough University , UK ; National Centre for Sports and Exercise Medicine - East Midlands , Loughborough , UK ; NIHR Leicester-Loughborough Diet , Lifestyle and Physical Activity Biomedical Research Unit , Loughborough , UK.
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zecca
authors.affiliation: School of Creative Science and Engineering , Waseda University , Tokyo , Japan.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bartolomeo
authors.affiliation: College of National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities , Tokorozawa , Japan.
authors.forename: Takamichi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takashima
authors.affiliation: School of Human Sciences , Waseda University , Tokyo , Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Modern Mechanical Engineering and the Humanoid Robotics Institute , Waseda University , Tokyo , Japan.
authors.forename: Atsuo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takanishi
keywords: abnormal footfall condition; gait analysis; gait event detection; human locomotion; inertial measurement units; inertial sensors; inertial systems; long-distance walking; reliability; sensor placement; slipping surface condition; step phase detection