Classification of human physical activity and energy expenditure estimation by accelerometry and barometry

Regular exercise and physical activity are among the most important factors influencing the quality of life and make a significant contribution to the maintenance of health and well-being. The assessment of physical activity via accelerometry has become a promising technique often used as means to objectively measure physical activity. This work proposes a simple and reliable method to assess human physical activity and calculate the energy expenditure (EE) by using an acceleration and an air pressure sensor. Our proposed algorithm differentiates between 7 activities with an average accuracy of 98.2% and estimates the second by second EE with an average percent error of 1.59 ± 8.20% using a single measurement unit attached to the subject´s hip.