Sponsor
Portland State University. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
First Advisor
Eric Wan
Date of Publication
Winter 4-4-2017
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (M.S.) in Electrical and Computer Engineering
Department
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Language
English
Subjects
Gait in humans -- Measurement, Infrared detectors -- Design and construction, Home automation, Self-help devices for older people, Older people -- Services for -- Technological innovations
DOI
10.15760/etd.5386
Physical Description
1 online resource (ix, 102 pages)
Abstract
Changes in the gait characteristics, such as walking speed and stride length, of a person living at home can be used to presage cognitive decline, predict fall potential, monitor long-term changes in cognitive impairment, test drug regimens, and more. This thesis presents a novel approach to gait analysis in a smart-home environment by leveraging new advances in inexpensive sensors and embedded systems to create novel solutions for in-home gait analysis. Using a simple, non-invasive hardware system consisting entirely of wall-mounted infrared and radio frequency sensor arrays, data is collected on the gait of subjects as they pass by. This data is then analyzed and sent to a clinician for further study. The system is non-invasive in that it does not use cameras and could be built into the molding of a home so that it would be nearly invisible. In a finished prototype version, the system presented in this thesis could be used to analyze the gait characteristics of one or more subjects living in a home environment while ignoring the data of visitors and other non-subject cohabitants. The ability to constantly collect data from a home environment could provide thousands of observations per year for clinical analysis. Providing such a robust data set may allow people with gait impairment to live at home longer and more safely before transitioning to a care facility, have a reduced fall risk due to better prediction, and live a healthier life in old age.
Rights
In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
Persistent Identifier
http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/19665
Recommended Citation
Schafermeyer, Erich Reinhardt, "An IR and RF Based System for Functional Gait Analysis in a Multi-Resident Smart-Home" (2017). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 3502.
https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.5386