Older adults walk with shorter stride length; this change has been linked with reductions in gait performance. Wearable systems that provide customized biofeedback has been found to have effectively increased the stride length and the range of motion. Previous studies have suggested that changes in gait patterns usually require a motor learning process, which can be reflected in the increase in variability in some gait parameters. This study paid attention to the changes in variability in gait upon using a swing time based vibrotactile biofeedback system. Four healthy older adults participated in this study, in which a biofeedback system was used to give them vibrating signals and encourage them to increase their swing time. The results of this study show that participants that showed gait improvements (e.g., increasing the stride length) presented lower gait variability than those who did not adapt. A greater variability was observed in temporal than spatial gait parameters. Following
Older adults walk with a shorter stride length, reduced hip range of motion (ROM) and higher cadence. These are signs of reductions in walking ability. This study investigated whether using a wireless smart insole system that monitored and provided biofeedback to encourage an extension of swing time could increase stride length and hip flexion, while reducing the cadence. Seven older adults were tested in this study, with and without the biofeedback device, in an outdoor environment. Gait analysis was performed by using GaitRite system and Xsens MVN. Repeated measures analysis demonstrated that with biofeedback, the swing time increased by 6.45%, stride length by 4.52% and hip flexion by 14.73%, with statistical significance. It also decreased the cadence significantly by 5.5%. This study has demonstrated that this smart insole system modified positively the studied gait parameters in older adults and has the potential to improve their walking ability.