A Development of Smart Device-based Motion Measurement System

Abstract

In the elderly, various physical functions decline with aging. Therefore, quantitative assessments of ambulatory function play a very important role in rehabilitation for the elderly. However, special equipment such as a three-dimensional position analyzer is necessary for accurate measurement of gait. Because these equipment is complex and expensive, they are unavailable for routine gait assessments of the elderly. In this study, we developed a posture analysis system based on a small information terminal to provide a tool that can be used for elderly gait assessment in research and clinical practice. There is another problem that pedometers designed for healthy people cannot count the number of steps accurately when the elderly walk slowly. We devised a new pedometer algorithm for smartphones that detects the number of steps during slow walking.