Frequency analysis for gait bio-feedback
Normal gait analysis rely on detailed geometric measurements and calculations, using advanced 3D camera systems or a system of accelerometers/gyroscopes mounted on the legs and body of the test subject.
The excessive amounts of data generated are hard to analyze, visualize and understand, and simpler methods to evaluate and visualize gait data are being sought.
One possible way is to abandon the focus on exact geometric understanding of the gait, and look into the rhythm of the gait as an alternative indicator of gait style and quality.
Carlo Minetti - an Italian professor - have demonstrated that the massive gait data volumes obtained by Vicon 3D camera systems, can be reduced to a simple 3D vector by advanced frequency analysis, and visualized as a 3D figure, that can be described as a complicated 3 dimensional path in space .... like a bow or a knot.
The 3D figure is a representation of the rhythm of the body motion during walk, and is unique to the person and his/her style of walking. If the walking style is changed, the 3D figure also changes.
It is speculated that similar 3D figures may be obtained by accelerometer analysis of walking, using e.g. 5-9 accelerometers placed on the legs and body. If this is possible, the visualization method can be made available to normal gait therapy, that may not have access to 3D camera systems. It may also be used in real walking, where 3D camera's need people to walk on a treadmill to stay within the visual range of the cameras.
In this project, the students will test if accelerometers can be used to create a 3D Lissajours figure representing the walking pattern of test subjects.
The project require a high interest in the collection of accelerometer data, practical experiements, signal processing and especially frequency analysis.
The result of the project is not given in advance. It is possible that accelerometers are not feasible for this kind of analysis, but it is also possible that an entire new tool for gait analysis will result from the project.
