Gait Assessment of Younger and Older Adults with Portable Motion-Sensing Methods: A User Study

Abstract EN

Wearable motion sensors with built-in accelerometers have been deployed for gait assessment.

This study aims at exploring gait patterns between younger and older adults using a motion-sensing system and exploring sensor technology acceptance among participants.

The motion-sensing system was formed by a smart bracelet, an Android application, and a website based on Microsoft Azure.

The study employed quasi-experimental, nonexperimental, and qualitative design.

A total of 28 younger and 28 older adults were recruited.

The gait assessment result indicated that the root mean square (RMS) acceleration increased significantly as the walking pace increased based on the right ankle sensor.

Older participants usually presented a lower magnitude of acceleration patterns in the anteroposterior and mediolateral direction compared with the younger participants, while the stride regularity and variability were not significantly different between younger and older participants.

User evaluation indicated that the user experience of the motion-sensing system could be further enhanced by providing feedback on the smart bracelet display, generating an analysis report on the gait visualization website, and involving family members in data sharing for older adults.

Study findings demonstrated that it is feasible to use portable motion-sensing methods to measure gait characteristics among Chinese adults.

Suggestions proposed through user evaluation could be of value to improve the user experience of the motion-sensing system.