Self-contained Position Tracking of Human Movement Using Small Inertial/Magnetic Sensor Modules

TLDR

Self‑contained personal navigation systems that operate indoors and outdoors without infrastructure or jamming rely on inertial/magnetic sensor arrays, which have enabled full‑body posture tracking over unlimited areas and consist of triads of angular‑rate, linear‑acceleration, and magnetometer sensors. The study proposes a method that fuses accelerometer data with module orientation estimates to compute position during walking and running. The method exploits the periodicity of gait, using brief zero‑velocity intervals when the foot contacts the ground to correct drift, and then double‑integrates drift‑corrected accelerometer data to obtain relative position. The approach achieves precise drift correction and yields accurate distance and position estimates for walking, side‑stepping, and running, as shown in preliminary experiments.

Abstract

Numerous applications require a self-contained personal navigation system that works in indoor and outdoor environments, does not require any infrastructure support, and is not susceptible to jamming. Posture tracking with an array of inertial/magnetic sensors attached to individual human limb segments has been successfully demonstrated. The "sourceless" nature of this technique makes possible full body posture tracking in an area of unlimited size with no supporting infrastructure. Such sensor modules contain three orthogonally mounted angular rate sensors, three orthogonal linear accelerometers and three orthogonal magnetometers. This paper describes a method for using accelerometer data combined with orientation estimates from the same modules to calculate position during walking and running. The periodic nature of these motions includes short periods of zero foot velocity when the foot is in contact with the ground. This pattern allows for precise drift error correction. Relative position is calculated through double integration of drift corrected accelerometer data. Preliminary experimental results for various types of motion including walking, side stepping, and running document accuracy of distance and position estimates.