A practical gait analysis system using gyroscopes

This study investigated the possibility of using uni-axial gyroscopes to de velop a simple portable gait analysis system. Gyroscopes were attached on t he skin surface of the shank and thigh segments and the angular velocity fo r each segment was recorded in each segment. Segment inclinations and knee angle were derived from segment angular velocities. The angular signals fro m a motion analysis system were used to evaluate the angular velocities and the derived signals from the gyroscopes. There was a good correlation betw een these signals. When performing a turn the signals of segment inclinatio n and knee angle drifted. Two methods were used to solve this: automaticall y resetting the system to re-initialise the angle in each gait cycle, and h igh-pass filtering. They both successfully corrected this drift. A single g yroscope on the shank segment could provide information on segment inclinat ion range, cadence, number of steps, and an estimation of stride length and walking speed. (C) 1999 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All right s reserved.