A Gait Phase Detection and Gait Spatio-temporal Features Extraction Method Based on the Inertial Measurement Unit*

Abstract

The quantitative evaluation of the improvement of physical function is crucial for patients with impaired motor function, such as stroke, in conducting related rehabilitation training activities. Specially, a practical and easy-to-operate gait feature detection and extraction system for a home is urgently needed. In this study, a home gait feature extraction method based on the inertial measurement unit is proposed. The subjects’ walking distance and speed are calculated using the double integral and the number of strides is calculated using the local maximum peak approach, while the stance phase and swing phase are calculated using the local trough approach. The compared result shows that the average walking distance accuracy is about 91.32 % and the average stride accuracy is about 96.55%. The proportion of the stance period (59.01%) and swing period (40.99%) estimated by the inertial measurement unit is close to the ratio of the two at normal speed. The experimental results demonstrate that the great accuracy of the gait spatio-temporal features is retrieved. The proposed method facilitates gait evaluation in clinics and at home, including the extraction of gait features and real-time evaluation.