On Data Fusion for Orientation Sensing in WBASNs Using Smart Phones

Orientation sensing is not a new concept. It is being used since ages however, with emergence of new technologies such as Wireless Body Area Sensor Networks (WBASNs), it gives new challenges. Commencement of smart phones that have built in orientation sensors are replacing expensive and complex Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) designed for a specific purpose. Orientation sensing in WBASN have numerous applications. In e-health applications, rehabilitation investigation of backbone injuries can be measured by continues readings of posture. For that, gyroscopes and accelerometers are key sensors that play vital role. For machines such as robots and air crafts, such data fusion is in practice. However, considering human body movements yet there is a need to find an accurate fusion algorithm that meets all demands with low complexity. In this work, we discussed and compared two algorithms considering Wireless Body Area Sensor Fusion (WBASF) i.e. Kalman and Complementary data fusion techniques. According to our findings, Kalman Filter may have given very good results regarding machines however, Complementary filter proved itself better in performance, complexity and required computational power in WBASNs.