Pedometers are used in many studies because physical activities can be simply assessed using them. In addition to the spring-levered type, piezo-electric pedometers have recently been used. However, their accuracy in children has not been investigated in previous studies. In this study, we investigated the accuracy of spring-levered pedometer and piezo-electric pedometer step counts in comparis...

People frequently analyze the actions of other people for the purpose of action coordination. To understand whether such self-relative action perception differs from other-relative action perception, the authors had observers either compare their own walking speed with that of a point-light walker or compare the walking speeds of 2 point-light walkers. In Experiment 1, observers walked, bicycle...

This study investigated the temporal characteristics of gait initiation and gait termination. Ten nondisabled adult volunteers and ten people with unilateral transtibial limb loss performed starting and stopping for slow, normal, and fast walking speeds. We used kinematic and anthropomorphic data to determine the body center of mass (BCOM) position of each subject. The BCOM acceleration was der...

This study recorded basic gait data from 656 healthy primary school-aged children (5-13 years) and 81 young adults (18-27 years) whilst walking over-ground across a level walkway at varying speed. It investigated the effect of gait speed and re-examined the issue of gait maturation. Participants completed 6-8 walks at self-selected slow, free and fast speed along a GAITRite walkway whilst weari...

The study examined whether a test of walking speed provides similar predictive information on mortality risk as does a summary measure of lower body function. Data were from the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly database and included Mexican Americans aged 65 years or more (1993-2000). Primary measures included a short physical performance battery, a tes...

This study investigates the relation between walking speed and the distribution of peak plantar pressure and compares a traditional ten-region subsampling (10RS) technique with a new technique: pedobarographic statistical parametric mapping (pSPM). Adapted from cerebral fMRI methodology, pSPM is a digital image processing technique that registers foot pressure images such that homologous struct...

Achieving a soft landing during walking can be quantified by analyzing changes in the vertical velocity of the body center of mass (CoM) just prior to the landing of the swing limb. Previous research suggests that walking speed and step length may predictably influence the extent of this CoM control. Here we ask how stable this control is. We altered treadmill walking speed by systematically in...

Changes in pedality can occur in animals due to injury, congenital defects, or behaviour. Here, an attempt is made to reproduce similar conditions on a nominally quadrupedal robot upon losing functionality in one leg, rendering it tripedal. The change in walking speed and energy efficiency are examined for both quadrupedal amble and basic tripedal walking gaits.

The relationship between biomechanical action and perception of self-motion during walking is typically consistent and well-learned but also adaptable. This perceptual-motor coupling can be recalibrated by creating a mismatch between the visual information for self-motion and walking speed. Perceptual-motor recalibration of locomotion has been demonstrated through effects on subsequent walking ...