Can MIMUs positioned on the ankles provide a reliable detection and characterization of U-turns in gait?
The detection and characterization of U-turns during locomotion using Magneto-Inertial Measurement Units (MIMU) with the goal of segmenting the walking trial into straight walking bouts and turns is an open issue currently under investigation. Typically, a MIMU located on the lower back or trunk is used to this purpose and turns onset timing and duration are determined. The aim of this study was to assess if an existing method could be satisfactorily applied to signals recorded from MIMUs near the ankles.