Writers: Luisa Ruiz-Ruiz, Mikko Lindholm, Johan Plomp and Antonio R. Jiménez

As part of NextPerception project, a variety of technologies are being developed for physical monitoring and evaluation. In the Vitality Monitoring pilot, Spanish researchers from CSIC are working on the use of inertial sensors (IMUs) for gait analysis and UWB technologies for indoor location, to detect fall risk and frailty in the elderly (LocGait system). For their part, VTT partners in Finland, are developing radar-based technologies to study physiological parameters and behavior of elderly people.

As part of the cross-pollination activities proposed in NextPerception project during the second cycle, a collaboration between CSIC and VTT has been carried out in order to study and compare both approaches for gait analysis in the elderly.

The LocGait system developed by CSIC provides real-time gait analysis based on IMUs fixed to the user’s foot and estimates the subject’s indoor location using a network of UWB beacons providing several ranges to a mobile UWB tag carried by the user. The accurate set of gait parameters estimated by this system generates a ground truth for other analysis systems which in principle are expected to be less accurate such as the radar technology from VTT under assessment.

Trials have been carried out in the VTT laboratory established in Oulu where the radar system is located and where the LocGait system from CSIC has been installed. During the test, the subject was equipped with a foot mounted IMU and UWB tag located in the arm. Both systems (LocGait-CSIC and Radar-VTT) worked simultaneously, capturing the subject’s movements: walking, sitting down and getting up from a chair.

Results are currently being analyzed and will soon be published. For the time being a video can be found at the following link: Video_Oulu

For more information, please contact Luisa Ruiz (luisa.ruiz@csic.es) or visit our website