Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2010;10(8):7772-88.
doi: 10.3390/s100807772. Epub 2010 Aug 20.

A review of accelerometry-based wearable motion detectors for physical activity monitoring

Che-Chang Yang  1 , Yeh-Liang Hsu
Affiliations
Review

A review of accelerometry-based wearable motion detectors for physical activity monitoring

Che-Chang Yang et al. Sensors (Basel). 2010.

Abstract

Characteristics of physical activity are indicative of one's mobility level, latent chronic diseases and aging process. Accelerometers have been widely accepted as useful and practical sensors for wearable devices to measure and assess physical activity. This paper reviews the development of wearable accelerometry-based motion detectors. The principle of accelerometry measurement, sensor properties and sensor placements are first introduced. Various research using accelerometry-based wearable motion detectors for physical activity monitoring and assessment, including posture and movement classification, estimation of energy expenditure, fall detection and balance control evaluation, are also reviewed. Finally this paper reviews and compares existing commercial products to provide a comprehensive outlook of current development status and possible emerging technologies.

Keywords: accelerometer; accelerometry; energy expenditure; fall detection; gait; human motion; physical activity.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Caspersen CJ, Powell KE, Christenson GM. Physical activity, exercise and physical fitness: Definitions and distinctions for health-related research. Public. Health. Rep. 1985;110:126–131. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Steele BG, Holt RNL, Belza B, Ferris S, Lakshminaryan S, Buchner DM. Quantitating physical activity in COPD using a triaxial accelerometer. Chest. 2000;117:1359–1367. - PubMed
    1. Meijer GAL, Westerterp KR, Verhoeven FMH, Koper HBM, Hoor F. Methods to assess physical activity with special reference to motion sensors and accelerometers. IEEE. Trans. Biomed. Eng. 1991;38:221–229. - PubMed
    1. Podsiadlo D, Richardson S. The timed “Up & Go”: A test of basic functional mobility for frail elderly persons. J. Am. Geriatr. Soc. 1991;39:142–148. - PubMed
    1. Berg KO, Wood-Dauphinee SL, Williams JI, Gayton D. Measuring balance in elderly: Preliminary development of an instrument. Physiother. Can. 1989;41:304–311.

LinkOut - more resources