Body Area Network with Gait Symmetry Analyses

Abstract: Smart portable devices is increasing in popularity in many fields. In motion tracking many devices have been created in the last years as a help in motivation and observation for training. Most of them is for tracking distance moved, heart-rate and some more basic functions. For deeper analyses in motion tracking a more advanced system is needed. The system needs to be small and light to not influence the movement of the subject in a negative way. It should preferably be cheap. Two other factors is that the system needs to be easy to use, both in the interface and deployment. Symmetry in motion is an key-element to effective use of energy. Measuring the symmetry in gait should then help to improve motion. This could be used as a tool for more efficient training or to faster recover from an injury. For a stroke-patient this could perhaps decrease the time of rehabilitation and remind the patient to move one leg. To create this, a reliable communication between a data sink and sensor nodes has been developed. The sensor nodes is gathering nine dimensions IMU data, accelerometer, gyroscopes and magnetometer, each in three dimensions. The data is saved to a database where it can be extracted for further analyses. Testing of the script language for Bluetooth devices, BGScript for time synchronisation has been done to see if it is able to use for frequencies high enough for a system to measure movement.