IEMEK Journal of Embedded Systems and Applications (대한임베디드공학회논문지)

Institute of Embedded Engineering of Korea (대한임베디드공학회)
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Estimation of Road Surface Condition and Tilt Angle to Improve the Safety of Mobility Aids for the Elderly

노인용 보행보조기의 안전성 향상을 위한 노면 상태 및 기울기 추정

  • Received : 2021.11.29
  • Accepted : 2022.01.26
  • Published : 2022.06.30
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Abstract

This paper proposes a method for estimating the road surface condition and tilt angle using an inertial measurement unit (IMU) to improve the safety in the use of mobility aids for the elderly. The measurements of the accelerometers of the IMU usually include the accelerations caused by not only the gravitational force but also linear and rotational motions. Thus, the gravitational accelerations are first extracted using several physical constraints and then incorporated into the Kalman filter to estimate the tilt angle. In addition, because the magnitudes of the accelerations produced by the rotational motions (roll and pitch motions) vary with the road surface condition, a criterion based on such accelerations is presented to classify the condition of the road surface. The obtained road surface condition and tilt angle are finally combined to provide the safety information (e.g., safe, warning, and danger) for the user to improve the walking safety. Experiments were carried out and the results showed that the proposed method can provide the condition of the road surface, the tilt of the road surface, and the safety information correctly.

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References

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