Application of Gyroscopes in Identifying Gait Symmetry in Walking

Gait symmetry holds an important role in clinical and rehabilitation settings. It is an effective indicator that distinguishes normal and pathological walking gait. This paper addresses the use of wireless gyroscope to determine gait symmetry in walking. Four gyroscopes are attached to the lower extremity to measure the angular rate of the thigh and shank in walking. Symmetry index is used to determine the bilateral differences between the left limb and right limb. In order to limit the symmetry index of the angular rate to ±100%, min-max normalization approach is performed. As one of the fundamental measurements to determine gait symmetry in walking, duration for one complete gait cycle, stance phase, and swing phase are also considered in this paper.