Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology (Apr 2023)

A multi-sensor wearable system for the assessment of diseased gait in real-world conditions

  • Francesca Salis,
  • Francesca Salis,
  • Stefano Bertuletti,
  • Stefano Bertuletti,
  • Tecla Bonci,
  • Marco Caruso,
  • Marco Caruso,
  • Kirsty Scott,
  • Lisa Alcock,
  • Lisa Alcock,
  • Ellen Buckley,
  • Eran Gazit,
  • Clint Hansen,
  • Lars Schwickert,
  • Kamiar Aminian,
  • Clemens Becker,
  • Philip Brown,
  • Anne-Elie Carsin,
  • Anne-Elie Carsin,
  • Anne-Elie Carsin,
  • Brian Caulfield,
  • Lorenzo Chiari,
  • Lorenzo Chiari,
  • Ilaria D’Ascanio,
  • Silvia Del Din,
  • Silvia Del Din,
  • Bjoern M. Eskofier,
  • Judith Garcia-Aymerich,
  • Judith Garcia-Aymerich,
  • Judith Garcia-Aymerich,
  • Jeffrey M. Hausdorff,
  • Emily C. Hume,
  • Cameron Kirk,
  • Felix Kluge,
  • Felix Kluge,
  • Sarah Koch,
  • Sarah Koch,
  • Sarah Koch,
  • Arne Kuederle,
  • Walter Maetzler,
  • Encarna M. Micó-Amigo,
  • Arne Mueller,
  • Isabel Neatrour,
  • Anisoara Paraschiv-Ionescu,
  • Luca Palmerini,
  • Luca Palmerini,
  • Alison J. Yarnall,
  • Alison J. Yarnall,
  • Alison J. Yarnall,
  • Lynn Rochester,
  • Lynn Rochester,
  • Lynn Rochester,
  • Basil Sharrack,
  • David Singleton,
  • Beatrix Vereijken,
  • Ioannis Vogiatzis,
  • Ugo Della Croce,
  • Ugo Della Croce,
  • Claudia Mazzà,
  • Andrea Cereatti,
  • Andrea Cereatti,
  • for the Mobilise-D consortium

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2023.1143248
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11

Abstract

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Introduction: Accurately assessing people’s gait, especially in real-world conditions and in case of impaired mobility, is still a challenge due to intrinsic and extrinsic factors resulting in gait complexity. To improve the estimation of gait-related digital mobility outcomes (DMOs) in real-world scenarios, this study presents a wearable multi-sensor system (INDIP), integrating complementary sensing approaches (two plantar pressure insoles, three inertial units and two distance sensors).Methods: The INDIP technical validity was assessed against stereophotogrammetry during a laboratory experimental protocol comprising structured tests (including continuous curvilinear and rectilinear walking and steps) and a simulation of daily-life activities (including intermittent gait and short walking bouts). To evaluate its performance on various gait patterns, data were collected on 128 participants from seven cohorts: healthy young and older adults, patients with Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, and proximal femur fracture. Moreover, INDIP usability was evaluated by recording 2.5-h of real-world unsupervised activity.Results and discussion: Excellent absolute agreement (ICC >0.95) and very limited mean absolute errors were observed for all cohorts and digital mobility outcomes (cadence ≤0.61 steps/min, stride length ≤0.02 m, walking speed ≤0.02 m/s) in the structured tests. Larger, but limited, errors were observed during the daily-life simulation (cadence 2.72–4.87 steps/min, stride length 0.04–0.06 m, walking speed 0.03–0.05 m/s). Neither major technical nor usability issues were declared during the 2.5-h acquisitions. Therefore, the INDIP system can be considered a valid and feasible solution to collect reference data for analyzing gait in real-world conditions.

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