A New Multi-Sensor Fusion Scheme to Improve the Accuracy of Knee Flexion Kinematics for Functional Rehabilitation Movements.

Halim Tannous,Marie Ho Ba Tho,Tien Dao,Aziz Benlarbi-Delai,Julien Sarrazin,Dan Istrate,Didier Gamet

doi:10.3390/s16111914

Abstract

Exergames have been proposed as a potential tool to improve the current practice of musculoskeletal rehabilitation. Inertial or optical motion capture sensors are commonly used to track the subject’s movements. However, the use of these motion capture tools suffers from the lack of accuracy in estimating joint angles, which could lead to wrong data interpretation. In this study, we proposed a real time quaternion-based fusion scheme, based on the extended Kalman filter, between inertial and visual motion capture sensors, to improve the estimation accuracy of joint angles. The fusion outcome was compared to angles measured using a goniometer. The fusion output shows a better estimation, when compared to inertial measurement units and Kinect outputs. We noted a smaller error (3.96°) compared to the one obtained using inertial sensors (5.04°). The proposed multi-sensor fusion system is therefore accurate enough to be applied, in future works, to our serious game for musculoskeletal rehabilitation.

Highlights

In the past few decades the growing population has underlined many healthcare problems.According to the World Health Organization, 15% of people currently suffer from musculoskeletal disabilities
Motion capture sensors like Kinect or inertial measurement units (IMU) are commonly used in exergames to track subject
Motion capture sensors like Kinect or IMU are commonly used in exergames to track subject movements

Summary

Introduction

According to the World Health Organization, 15% of people currently suffer from musculoskeletal disabilities. Among these 15%, 35%–50% of disabled people in modern countries are not getting the necessary management (diagnosis, treatment, follow-up). This number is even higher in developing countries and reaches 76%–85% [1]. Functional rehabilitation is one of the most efficient routine practices to recover any dysfunction of body locomotion, and to improve surgical outcomes of musculoskeletal patients. A rehabilitation program is assigned by a clinical expert to a specific patient and the execution and follow-up are managed by a team of therapists

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Conclusion