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. 2015 Dec 23;16(1):12.
doi: 10.3390/s16010012.

Robust Foot Clearance Estimation Based on the Integration of Foot-Mounted IMU Acceleration Data

Mourad Benoussaad  1 , Benoît Sijobert  2 , Katja Mombaur  3 , Christine Azevedo Coste  4
Affiliations

Robust Foot Clearance Estimation Based on the Integration of Foot-Mounted IMU Acceleration Data

Mourad Benoussaad et al. Sensors (Basel). .

Abstract

This paper introduces a method for the robust estimation of foot clearance during walking, using a single inertial measurement unit (IMU) placed on the subject's foot. The proposed solution is based on double integration and drift cancellation of foot acceleration signals. The method is insensitive to misalignment of IMU axes with respect to foot axes. Details are provided regarding calibration and signal processing procedures. Experimental validation was performed on 10 healthy subjects under three walking conditions: normal, fast and with obstacles. Foot clearance estimation results were compared to measurements from an optical motion capture system. The mean error between them is significantly less than 15 % under the various walking conditions.

Keywords: 3D transformation; driftless integration; foot clearance estimation; inertial measurement unit.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
IMU placement and frame transformation in (a) the sagittal view and (b) the frontal view.
Figure 2
Figure 2
IMU-based foot clearance estimation algorithm.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Experimental setup and validation of IMU-based foot clearance estimation.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Foot clearance values measured by the VICON system and estimated by the IMU during: (a) Normal walking (Subject 1, left foot); (b) Fast walking (Subject 1, right foot); and (c) Walking with obstacles (Subject 10, right foot).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Maximum foot clearance and RMSE between VICON measurements and IMU-based estimates for both feet of each subject during: (a) Normal walking; (b) Fast walking; and (c) Walking with obstacles.
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