Achieving ecological validity in mobility assessment: Validating a wearable sensor technology for comprehensive gait assessment

The aim of the study was to validate indigenously designed novel state-of-the-art wearable sensor technology (WST), the JUMP modules, against a more conventional optical motion tracking system. 16 healthy young participants were requested to walk at three different walking speeds (slow, normal and fast). Bland-Altman analysis revealed high - excellent levels of agreement for all the parameters, with stride time as well as stride time variability showing the highest levels of agreement as well as precision. The results indicate that the novel WST system is a valid tool for monitoring both summary gait as well as gait variability parameters, and therefore has the potential to accurately monitor motor-related deficits in patients as well as elderly adults in clinical settings.