Biomaterial Database

Combining Different Wearable Devices to Assess Gait Speed in Real-World Settings. 2024

Michele Zanoletti, and Pasquale Bufano, and Francesco Bossi, and Francesco Di Rienzo, and Carlotta Marinai, and Gianluca Rho, and Carlo Vallati, and Nicola Carbonaro, and Alberto Greco, and Marco Laurino, and Alessandro Tognetti

National Research Council, Institute of Clinical Physiology, 56124 Pisa, Italy.

Assessing mobility in daily life can provide significant insights into several clinical conditions, such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). In this paper, we present a comprehensive analysis of wearable devices' performance in gait speed estimation and explore optimal device combinations for everyday use. Using data collected from smartphones, smartwatches, and smart shoes, we evaluated the individual capabilities of each device and explored their synergistic effects when combined, thereby accommodating the preferences and possibilities of individuals for wearing different types of devices. Our study involved 20 healthy subjects performing a modified Six-Minute Walking Test (6MWT) under various conditions. The results revealed only little performance differences among devices, with the combination of smartwatches and smart shoes exhibiting superior estimation accuracy. Particularly, smartwatches captured additional health-related information and demonstrated enhanced accuracy when paired with other devices. Surprisingly, wearing all devices concurrently did not yield optimal results, suggesting a potential redundancy in feature extraction. Feature importance analysis highlighted key variables contributing to gait speed estimation, providing valuable insights for model refinement.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D005260	Female		Females
D005684	Gait	Manner or style of walking.	Gaits
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000068997	Smartphone	A cell phone with advanced computing and connectivity capability built on an operating system.	Smart Phone,Smart Phones,Phones, Smart,Smartphones
D000072797	Walking Speed	The rate at which steps are made while walking.	Gait Speed,Walking Pace,Gait Speeds,Pace, Walking,Paces, Walking,Speed, Gait,Speed, Walking,Speeds, Gait,Speeds, Walking,Walking Paces,Walking Speeds
D000076251	Wearable Electronic Devices	Electronic implements worn on the body as an implant or as an accessory. Examples include wearable diagnostic devices, wearable ACTIVITY TRACKERS, wearable INFUSION PUMPS, wearable computing devices, SENSORY AIDS, and electronic pest repellents.	Wearable Computer,Electronic Skin,Wearable Devices,Wearable Technology,Computer, Wearable,Device, Wearable,Device, Wearable Electronic,Electronic Device, Wearable,Skin, Electronic,Technology, Wearable,Wearable Computers,Wearable Device,Wearable Electronic Device,Wearable Technologies
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D012775	Shoes	Footwear made of a flat sole shaped to the contour of the foot, connected to an upper portion which may or may not completely cover or wrap around the foot.	Shoe
D016138	Walking	An activity in which the body advances at a slow to moderate pace by moving the feet in a coordinated fashion. This includes recreational walking, walking for fitness, and competitive race-walking.	Ambulation

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