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
. 2023 Nov 9;23(22):9061.
doi: 10.3390/s23229061.

Person-Specific Template Matching Using a Dynamic Time Warping Step-Count Algorithm for Multiple Walking Activities

Valeria Filippou  1 , Michael R Backhouse  2 , Anthony C Redmond  3 , David C Wong  4
Affiliations

Person-Specific Template Matching Using a Dynamic Time Warping Step-Count Algorithm for Multiple Walking Activities

Valeria Filippou et al. Sensors (Basel). .

Abstract

This study aimed to develop and evaluate a new step-count algorithm, StepMatchDTWBA, for the accurate measurement of physical activity using wearable devices in both healthy and pathological populations. We conducted a study with 30 healthy volunteers wearing a wrist-worn MOX accelerometer (Maastricht Instruments, NL). The StepMatchDTWBA algorithm used dynamic time warping (DTW) barycentre averaging to create personalised templates for representative steps, accounting for individual walking variations. DTW was then used to measure the similarity between the template and accelerometer epoch. The StepMatchDTWBA algorithm had an average root-mean-square error of 2 steps for healthy gaits and 12 steps for simulated pathological gaits over a distance of about 10 m (GAITRite walkway) and one flight of stairs. It outperformed benchmark algorithms for the simulated pathological population, showcasing the potential for improved accuracy in personalised step counting for pathological populations. The StepMatchDTWBA algorithm represents a significant advancement in accurate step counting for both healthy and pathological populations. This development holds promise for creating more precise and personalised activity monitoring systems, benefiting various health and wellness applications.

Keywords: accelerometry; dynamic time warping; physical activity; step counting.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Averaging dynamic time warping of segmented acceleration signals in multiple colours using barycentre averaging.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Flowchart of StepMatchDTWBA algorithm.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Unbiased autocorrelation signal of normal walking with peaks and troughs.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Acceleration signal of normal walking with peaks and troughs.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Sequence of activities performed by the volunteers during the experiment.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Bland–Altman plot under healthy conditions.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Bland–Altman plot under simulated pathological conditions.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Phillips S.M., Cadmus-Bertram L., Rosenberg D., Buman M.P., Lynch B.M. Wearable technology and physical activity in chronic disease: Opportunities and challenges. Am. J. Prev. Med. 2018;54:144–150. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2017.08.015. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ryu U., Ahn K., Kim E., Kim M., Kim B., Woo S., Chang Y. Adaptive step detection algorithm for wireless smart step counter; Proceedings of the International Conference on Information Science and Applications; Pattaya, Thailand. 24–26 June 2013; pp. 1–4. - DOI
    1. Chow J.J., Thom J.M., Wewege M.A., Ward R.E., Parmenter B.J. Accuracy of step count measured by physical activity monitors: The effect of gait speed and anatomical placement site. Gait Posture. 2017;57:199–203. doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2017.06.012. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Strath S.J., Kaminsky L.A., Ainsworth B.E., Ekelund U., Freedson P.S., Gary R.A., Richardson C.R., Smith D.T., Swartz A.M., American Heart Association Physical Activity Committee of the Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health and Cardiovascular, Exercise, Cardiac Rehabilitation and Prevention Committee of the Council on Clinical Cardiology, and Council Guide to the assessment of physical activity: Clinical and research applications: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2013;128:2259–2279. - PubMed
    1. Godfrey A., Del Din S., Barry G., Mathers J.C., Rochester L. Instrumenting gait with an accelerometer: A system and algorithm examination. Med. Eng. Phys. 2015;37:400–407. doi: 10.1016/j.medengphy.2015.02.003. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources