Abstract
We describe the development and preliminary evaluation of an innovative low-cost wearable device for gait analysis. We have developed a sensorized sock equipped with 32 piezoresistive textile-based sensors integrated in the heel and metatarsal areas for the detection of signals associated with the contact pressures generated during walking phases. To build the sock, we applied a sensing patch on a commercially available sock. The sensing patch is a stretchable circuit based on the resistive matrix method, in which conductive stripes, based on conductive inks, are coupled with piezoresistive fabrics to form sensing elements. In our sensorized sock, we introduced many relevant improvements to overcome the limitations of the classical resistive matrix method. We preliminary evaluated the sensorized sock on five healthy subjects by performing a total of 80 walking tasks at different speeds for a known distance. Comparison of step count and step-to-step frequency versus reference measurements showed a high correlation between the estimated measure and the real one.
Highlights
The way we walk consists of repeated step cycles, which include a predefined sequence of gait phases
We introduced many relevant improvements to overcome the limitations of the classical resistive matrix method, and in the current paper, the strategies and method used to build the prototype are explained in detail
We have presented an innovative, low-cost wearable device based on a sensorized sock that is useful for long-term gait analysis such as during activities of daily living
Summary
The way we walk consists of repeated step cycles, which include a predefined sequence of gait phases (heel-strike, stance, heel-off, and swing) Both temporal (e.g., cadence, support time, step time, single support time, and double support time) and spatial (e.g., step length, stride length) characteristics of gait are important for evaluating a disease aand for defining and optimizing its treatment [1,2,3]. The loss of mobility associated with a reduced gait speed is normally assessed through standard clinical tests such as the Six-Minute Walk distance (6MWD), which measures the distance an individual is able to walk over a total of six minutes on a hard, flat surface [16,17] Standard tests, such as 6MWD, give important information on patient average speed, but they do not evaluate how the natural gait speed evolves in time and they are not able to extract other gait characteristics. Standard technologies used to perform gait analysis, such as podobarometric platforms [18] or optical systems [19], are obtrusive, not usable in daily context, expensive, and require the supervision of expert operators
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