Evaluating the Reliability and Accuracy of Three Sensor Prototypes for Enhancing Stair Mobility

Faculty Mentor

Kristyne Wiegand

Presentation Type

Poster

Start Date

May 2025

End Date

May 2025

Location

PUB NCR

Primary Discipline of Presentation

Wellness & Movement Sciences

Abstract

Peripheral neuropathy causes sensory deficits, impaired motor control, and instability. One challenge for individuals with neuropathy is stair navigation due to reduced sensory feedback and altered mechanics, increasing fall risk. Few commercial products mitigate sensory issues, creating a need for an affordable and easy to use product for individuals with neuropathy safely navigate stairs. PURPOSE: To evaluate the reliability and accuracy of three sensor prototypes designed to provide assistive feedback through tactile and visual cues during stair navigation. METHODS: 15 healthy adults (22.33 ± 2.87 y) completed the study, consisting of stair ascent and descent with the prototypes placed in their own shoes. Each prototype involves a switch pad on the proximal heel, triggering feedback upon activation: Prototype A provides a vibration at the ankle, Prototype B emits a light cue at the ankle and wrist, and Prototype C emits a light cue on the shoelaces. For each prototype, participants completed 3 ascents and 3 descents onto a 17.8 cm stair with the dominant leg. High speed video (120 Hz) was used to visually identify sensor activation, which was compared with kinetic data from a force platform (1200 Hz). Activation delay (ΔT) between sensor and force platform data was calculated to assess timing accuracy, and miss rates were analyzed to assess reliability. A 3 (device) x 2 (direction) ANOVA compared ΔT between devices and ascent/descent and a one-way ANOVA examined differences in miss rates across devices (α = .05). RESULTS: Based on preliminary results, ΔT was 0.32 ± 0.47 s for A, 0.28 ± 0.42 s for B, and 0.24 ± 0.39 s for C. The two-way ANOVA indicated no interaction (p = .33) or main effects of device (p = .41). There is a main effect of direction (p = .004), with a greater delay during ascent (0.36 s) than descent (0.20 s). Miss rates were not significantly different among devices (A: 15.6%, B: 25.6%, and C: 8.9%, p = .06). CONCLUSION: Early results indicate all three prototypes exhibit notable activation delays (0.24 – 0.32 s) and miss rates (8.9% – 25.6%) without significant differences in accuracy or reliability. The observed delays exceed typical reaction time thresholds for real time gait adjustments, which may limit the feedback effectiveness for immediate correction. However, more data collection is needed to determine if these trends persist and to assess the potential benefits of these prototypes.

Comments

Authors:

Primary Investigator (Author): Chloe Schmidt

Co-Author: Meena Jain

Co-RPI: Otto Buchholz PhD

RPI: Kristyne Wiegand PhD

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May 7th, 9:00 AM May 7th, 11:00 AM

Evaluating the Reliability and Accuracy of Three Sensor Prototypes for Enhancing Stair Mobility

PUB NCR

Peripheral neuropathy causes sensory deficits, impaired motor control, and instability. One challenge for individuals with neuropathy is stair navigation due to reduced sensory feedback and altered mechanics, increasing fall risk. Few commercial products mitigate sensory issues, creating a need for an affordable and easy to use product for individuals with neuropathy safely navigate stairs. PURPOSE: To evaluate the reliability and accuracy of three sensor prototypes designed to provide assistive feedback through tactile and visual cues during stair navigation. METHODS: 15 healthy adults (22.33 ± 2.87 y) completed the study, consisting of stair ascent and descent with the prototypes placed in their own shoes. Each prototype involves a switch pad on the proximal heel, triggering feedback upon activation: Prototype A provides a vibration at the ankle, Prototype B emits a light cue at the ankle and wrist, and Prototype C emits a light cue on the shoelaces. For each prototype, participants completed 3 ascents and 3 descents onto a 17.8 cm stair with the dominant leg. High speed video (120 Hz) was used to visually identify sensor activation, which was compared with kinetic data from a force platform (1200 Hz). Activation delay (ΔT) between sensor and force platform data was calculated to assess timing accuracy, and miss rates were analyzed to assess reliability. A 3 (device) x 2 (direction) ANOVA compared ΔT between devices and ascent/descent and a one-way ANOVA examined differences in miss rates across devices (α = .05). RESULTS: Based on preliminary results, ΔT was 0.32 ± 0.47 s for A, 0.28 ± 0.42 s for B, and 0.24 ± 0.39 s for C. The two-way ANOVA indicated no interaction (p = .33) or main effects of device (p = .41). There is a main effect of direction (p = .004), with a greater delay during ascent (0.36 s) than descent (0.20 s). Miss rates were not significantly different among devices (A: 15.6%, B: 25.6%, and C: 8.9%, p = .06). CONCLUSION: Early results indicate all three prototypes exhibit notable activation delays (0.24 – 0.32 s) and miss rates (8.9% – 25.6%) without significant differences in accuracy or reliability. The observed delays exceed typical reaction time thresholds for real time gait adjustments, which may limit the feedback effectiveness for immediate correction. However, more data collection is needed to determine if these trends persist and to assess the potential benefits of these prototypes.