Demands on a mobile auditory feedback system for gait rehabilitation

Abstract

The treatment of gait disorders is of high importance in clinical rehabilitation. Clinical gait analysis is usually applied in laboratories using video-based systems as well as force or pressure measuring mats. Due to the need for systems applicable for therapy and everyday situations an increasing number of mobile gait analysis systems has been developed in recent years, which include sensors and electronics that are integrated in the shoe or insole. These systems can also be applied in clinical rehabilitation and therapy of gait disorders. Used as feedback instrument it is possible to represent gait parameters visually or auditorily. The auditive representation of motion is called sonification. The increasing number of prototypes developed in recent years for the use of sonification in sports, as well as first applications in rehabilitation, show high potential for the use of sonification in gait rehabilitation. Therefore, this work comprises a review of current literature in order to provide recommendations for the development of a mobile system for the sonification of gait. This system may serve as a feedback instrument to support both, therapists and patients in clinical gait rehabilitation. Furthermore, possible application scenarios are discussed.