Accurate walking and running speed estimation using wrist inertial data

Abstract

In this work, we present an accelerometry-based device for robust running speed estimation integrated into a watch-like device. The estimation is based on inertial data processing, which consists in applying a leg-and-arm dynamic motion model to 3D accelerometer signals. This motion model requires a calibration procedure that can be done either on a known distance or on a constant speed period. The protocol includes walking and running speeds between 1.8km/h and 19.8km/h. Preliminary results based on eleven subjects are characterized by unbiased estimations with 2nd and 3rd quartiles of the relative error dispersion in the interval ±5%. These results are comparable to accuracies obtained with classical foot pod devices.