Knee flexion/extension angle estimation using UWB radios

• Main Author: Leow, Wanjing
• Other Authors: Soh Cheong Boon
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/52623
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Gait analysis and the construction of a dynamic body model are important not only for biomechanical research, but also for characterizing diseases that affect mobility. Typically, the occurrence of gait abnormalities is due to pain, abnormal range of motion, etc.. Knee joint angle is an index, which can be used to evaluate the effect of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on the risk of tripping or other potential disease. This report explores the use of Ultra-Wideband (UWB) to measure the knee joint angle. In this report, the student will explain some basic concepts on UWB and also provide some explanation of the experimental process of this project. The student will demonstrate how the use of peak to peak detection of UWB can also measure the joint angles during dynamic movements. The pulse wave captured during the experiment was believed to be similar to Gaussian pulse wave and its derivatives. Hence it is believed that the wave form undergoes differentiation every time it passes through an antenna and when moving in free space. The experimental results will show that using UWB is highly accurate to measure joint angles and maybe even better than the goniometer which will be explain further in the report.