Development of a novel wearable system for real-time measurement of the inter-foot distance during gait

The combination of magneto-inertial measurement unit (MIMU) and distance sensor (DS) represents smart solution for evaluating the distance between feet during various daily-life activities. In particular, when analyzing gait, the latter technology can be used for estimating the instantaneous or average distance between selected points of the feet (IFD) during mid-swing and mid-stance phases. The aim of this preliminary work is twofold: a) to develop and validate a novel wearable system for the measurement of the IFD during gait; b) to investigate the optimal positioning of the DS on the foot. Preliminary results showed that the innovative wearable system can be effectively used for accurately measuring the IFD during gait. Interestingly, the accuracy of the IFD estimation is highly affected by the position of the DS on the foot.