This application describes example systems and methods for placing onto a mammal's lower body, leg and thigh limbs, a set of paired bands to measure the lower body locomotion (for bipedalism, upright locomotion) and, if desired, additional arm strapped forearm and arm paired bands on the upper body (for complex motion, crawling, and in other applications, or four calf limb quadrupedalism locomotion). Each band contains multiple MEMs force sensors that measure muscle circumferential pressure at multiple positions, along with Earth's magnetic and gravitational fields. On-band data processing and networked, intra-band RF connectivity from multiple limbs, can be used to produce simple, energy-optimized, least-action metrics of mammal locomotion of two, interrelated functions defined as 1) Track, being a walking, running or other dynamic, from forward footpath creation over firm surfaces such as the ground, water-floats, or snow and ice, and 2) Balance, being required to efficiently move the lower body and/or upper body under Track. These technology metrics include assessment of locomotion related neurological functionality of body, limbs, and muscle disorders.
Details of Track differences in maintaining Balance are related to other physiological disorders, including detecting mental precursors, such as for fall-down behavior. An example system can be worn by many simultaneously and uniquely identified users, with metrics and location of each user being displayed on a laptop through additional RF connectivity, such as in recreational and professional sports. The system's on-band data processing units using battery supplied power, integrate the sensing to determine kinetic and potential energy of the body locomotion over time in a method that integrates out the aperiodic motion of the upper body and extended appendages, about center of mass (ACM), and uses the residual motion to measure the periodic center of mass (CM) locomotion from a known point.
The example systems and methods are self-calibrating, using calibration data collected when standing and jumping, at positions facing compass points. A GPS system can be incorporated for continuous motion measurement, to be used for calibration of the locomotion when GPS satellite data is available, and to establish the initiation geolocation point when beginning operation in GPS-denied regions for navigation, or to relatively geolocate multiple players in sport activities.
The body movement data, when combined with the band pressure and gravity data, removes the effects of the aperiodic, nonlinear locomotion, and leaves the residual movement for determining Track and Balance through a Euler-Lagrangian representation of the Equations of Motion.
The example systems and methods can be embodied for many applications (including the use of metric feedback for improved Balance and Track optimization), such as for human and non-human (e.g., horse) sports trainers, elder health care providers, and physical therapists for prevention and recovery from injuries of the back, knee, spine, and brain, such as from stroke, Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases, and dementia, as well as for other uses in mammal navigation and location purposes.