Real-time gait cycle parameters recognition using a wearable motion detector

This paper presents the use of an accelerometry-based wearable motion detector for real-time recognizing gait cycle parameters of Parkinson´s disease (PD) patients. The wearable motion detector uses a tri-axial accelerometer to measure trunk accelerations during walking. By using the autocorrelation procedure, several gait cycle parameters including cadence, gait regularity, and symmetry can be derived in real-time from the measured trunk acceleration data. The gait cycle parameters derived from 5 elder PD patients and 5 young healthy subjects are also compared. The measures of the gait cycle parameters between the PD patients and the healthy subjects are distinct and therefore can be quantified and distinguished, which indicates that detection of abnormal gaits of PD patients in real-time is also possible. The wearable motion detector developed in this paper is a practical system that enables quantitative and objective mobility assessment. The possible applications of this system are also discussed.