Authors:
Elif Dogu
1
;
Jose Paredes
1
;
2
;
Akram Alomainy
1
;
Janelle Jones
3
and
Khalid Rajab
1
Affiliations:
1
School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, U.K.
;
2
School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Roehampton, London SW15 5PU, U.K.
;
3
School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, U.K.
Keyword(s):
FMCW, mm-Wave Radar, Health Informatics, Medical Decision Support, Fall Risk Assessment, Timed Up and Go, Gait, Mobility.
Abstract:
Falls among the older adults pose a global health concern, necessitating innovative approaches for timely and effective falls risk screening. Aiming to develop a real-time falls risk screening tool, this study explores the integration of millimeter-wave (mmWave) radar technology with the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, which is a widely used screening tool that combines parameters measuring a person’s dynamic balance and functional mobility. Radar technology has emerged as a promising tool for non-intrusive, continuous monitoring of movements – including gait patterns and mobility – in real-life scenarios. By leveraging Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) radar, the study assesses its performance against video recordings in TUG completion time measurement. The completion time, conventionally measured manually with a timer in clinical settings, was derived from radar measurements using two different methods based on distance, and micro-Doppler (i.e. velocity). Results indicate rada
r’s superior accuracy in distance-based measures with 3.48% error and a correlation of 0.9996, surpassing manual timing (4.26% error, 0.9960 correlation) and demonstrating viability for falls risk screening protocols. The velocity-based determination performed slightly poorer (6.49% error, 0.9936 correlation), which is attributable to the very high sensitivity of the radar in detecting small motions, such as shuffling in a chair, that are not a part of the TUG sequence. This study contributes to healthcare technology innovation, emphasising radar’s transformative role beyond falls risk assessment. The precision of radar-based measurements opens avenues for enhanced diagnostics, monitoring, and personalised care.
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