Sensor Array for Evaluation of Gait Cycle

Slavomir Kardos,Peter Balog,Stanislav Slosarcik

doi:10.15598/aeee.v17i4.3352

Abstract

The gait motion is an essential part of the life of every human being. The evaluation of human motion is a subject of complex approach and knowledge in the biomechanics area with application in orthopedics, therapy and commercial sporting applications. The monitoring and diagnostics allow determining the background of motion individualities and the defects reasons and impacts. The article describes the possibilities of gait cycle sensing, which has the potential for use in medical diagnostics and rehabilitation process monitoring. The system incorporates a matrix of four FSR (Force Sensing Resistor) pressure sensors and an~accelerometric unit for the possibility of posture and step cycle evaluation so that it can be utilizable at diagnostic or rehabilitation during gait cycle re-training or sporting activities monitoring.

Highlights

Real-time or logged sensing of gait parameters allows the human gait analysis in medical praxis, which has a wide application area in the rehabilitation process and allows early discovering of some degradation processes
The first two measurement points were determined in the heel foot area, and the two points are localized in front of the plantar arch area. Such application types require the implementation of the sensor matrix in the insole, including the requirements for the compact and thin profile according to its specific localization, resistance to the pressure and shear related mechanic stress and to the presence of the moisture in a full relative humidity range due to aggressive sweat influence possibility
The sensor system is followed by the electronic circuit, including four-channel FSR sensor signal preconditioning, microcontroller for data acquisition and preprocessing, power management including charging and wireless module for data transmission

Summary

Introduction

Real-time or logged sensing of gait parameters allows the human gait analysis in medical praxis, which has a wide application area in the rehabilitation process and allows early discovering of some degradation processes. For the purpose of the gait cycle monitoring, the force and inertial sensors are mainly used. The following analysis is applied using known reference data of normal and defective profiles of gait [1], [2] and [3]. The sensors for movement, force, loading or pressure measurement are produced in various constructions. According to the application and required sensitivity of sensing, the concrete ones are used [4], [5] and [6]. In technical as well as medical praxis, the

Sensor System with Utilization of FSR and Accelerometer

The FSR and Accelerometer Signal Processing

32 LEVEL FIFO

Interpretation Software

Findings

Conclusion