Using gait symmetry to virtually align a triaxial accelerometer during running and walking

During running and walking the human centre of mass experiences a symmetric acceleration along the mediolateral direction. This reported work shows how to exploit this knowledge to correct misalignments of the axes of a trunk-mounted accelerometer with respect to the body axes. After vertical alignment, based on the gravitational component of the signal, the technique computes the virtual rotation angle of the axes lying in the horizontal plane. The chosen angle minimises the autocorrelation of the signal along the mediolateral direction.