The OptoGait Motion Analysis System for Clinical Assessment of 2D Spatio-Temporal Gait Parameters in Young Adults: A Reliability and Repeatability Observational Study

Background: Walking clinical assessments are commonly used to check for possible gait modifications in healthy subjects, in patients with trauma or neurological conditions, or after a surgical procedure. Spatio-temporal walking variables are studied in depth to achieve a complete evaluation. The purpose of this study was to perform an observational study of the reliability and repeatability of the OptoGait portable photoelectric cell system. Methods: An observational study of the reliability and repeatability of the OptoGait portable photoelectric cell system was carried out. Results: Walking point, walking point gap, step width, and walking base variables, which are deeply related to gait and posture, have an almost perfect reliability. Conclusion: The OptoGait motion analysis device is a reliable system for clinical assessment of static and dynamic foot pressures. Clinicians should feel confident adding this analysis system to their daily professional tools where repeatable measures of gait measurements are important for diagnosis and treatment selection, and also compare efficacy or testing differences between different pathologic conditions. Further, these obtained data can be formed as a baseline for future studies, and to check a right sample size for new research that use the OptoGait motion analysis system.

Development of a Low Cost Device for Measuring Solar Irradiance

For a determination of the system’s efficiency and decrease the cost, a low cost system for measuring solar irradiance is designed. By analyzing the influence of solar irradiance and temperature to solar cell, we have found that in case of different temperatures the variation of short-circuit current (Isc) in function of solar irradiation incident (E) is always linear. Then the read-out circuitry is designed to measure and convert the signal which is detected by the photoelectric cell and thermocouples. At last, the software is developed to compensate the temperature and make sure the device work normally. The results of detecting the system show that it’s effective and reliable.