Real-time gait event detection using a single head-worn inertial measurement unit

A real-time gait event detection based on a single sensor unit fixed onto the head is suggested in this paper. Head acceleration is measured by an inertial measurement unit in order to detect two gait events. When heel strike and toe off occur, the impact is physically generated between the foot and the ground, which are transmitted to the head through the different physiological structures directed to the longitudinal body axis. Although it is damped by body structures such as intervertebral discs, the impact determines the detectable peak in head acceleration. With a threshold and a low pass filter, a peak detection referring to head acceleration is reliable in detection of the gait events. This proposed method can be applied to homebased rehabilitation and daily fitness.