ABSTRACT
Assessment of human movement and motion has been carried out in a multitude of ways. It includes functional and kinematic monitoring (Mayagoitia, et al. 2002; Uswatte, et al. 2006) as well as assessment of physical activities (Bassett, 2000; Freedson & Miller, 2000; Plasqui & Westerterp, 2005; Pfeiffer et al., 2006; Plasqui & Westerterp, 2006). The array of systems can be simple equipment such as pedometers, through to sophisticated computer aided systems. Some popular methods for biomechanical analysis include optical motion analysis tools (Mayagoitia et al., 2002). Many of these techniques and equipment are restricted to laboratory settings or limited use for field application (Luinge & Veltink, 2005). Accelerometers offer opportunities for longitudinal studies by monitoring human movement (Luinge & Veltink, 2005). The use of accelerometry is considered to be a method that can be used for human movement measurement that is unobtrusive to subjects being tested (Uswatte et al., 2006). Accelerometers and rate gyroscopes (gyros) belong to a technological group known as Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) in particular, inertial sensors.
