Estimation of Stride Length, Foot Clearance, and Foot Progression Angle Using UWB Sensors

Stride length (SL), foot clearance (FC), and foot progression angle (FPA) are the key parameters for diagnosing gait disorders. This study used the distance data between two feet measured by ultra-wideband (UWB) sensors installed on shoes and proposed a method for estimating the three gait parameters. Here, a method of compensating the offset of the UWB sensor and estimating the distances between a base sensor installed on one foot during the stance phase and three UWB sensors on the other during the swing phase was applied. Foot trajectory was acquired in a gait experiment with ten healthy adults walking on a treadmill. The results were compared with those obtained using a motion capture system (MCS). The UWBs sensor displayed average errors of 45.84 mm, 7.60 mm, and 2.82 degrees for SL, FC, and FPA, respectively, compared with the MCS. A similar accuracy level was achieved in a previous study that used an inertial measurement unit (IMU). Thus, these results suggest that UWB sensors can be extensively applied to sensor systems used to analyze mobile gait systems.

Automated summary

This study used ultra-wideband (UWB) sensors installed on shoes to measure distances between feet and proposed a method for estimating stride length, foot clearance, and foot progression angle. Ten healthy adults walked on a treadmill to acquire foot trajectory data. The results were compared with a motion capture system (MCS) and showed similar accuracy to a previous study using an inertial measurement unit (IMU). Thus, UWB sensors can be extensively applied to analyze mobile gait systems.