ICROS-SICE International Joint Conference 2009 August 18-21, 2009, Fukuoka International Congress Center, Japan

Detection of Human Walking Motion Based on Measurement System of Current Generated by Electrostatic Induction
Koichi Kurita1, Ryo Takizawa2 and Hitoshi Kumon2
1

Department of Electrical Engineering, Kochi National College of Technology, Kochi, Japan (Tel : +81-8-8864-5547; E-mail: kurita@ee.kochi-ct.ac.jp) 2 Toyota Tokyo Technical Center, Toyota Motor Corporation, Tokyo, Japan

Abstract: In this study, an effective noncontact technique for the detection of human walking motion is proposed. The technique involves the measurement of the electrostatic induction current flowing through a measurement electrode. Further, an occurrence model for the electrostatic induction current generated due to a change in the electric potential of the human body is proposed. This model effectively explains the behavior of the waveform of the electrostatic induction current flowing through the measurement electrode. The obtained results show that the degree of fastening of a subjects foot is directly reflected in the electrostatic induction current generated due to walking motion. This suggests that subtle differences in the walking style can be detected using the proposed technique. Keywords: Human walking motion, Motion measurement, Current measurement, Electrostatic induction

1. INTRODUCTION
Researchers have made numerous attempts to develop methods for detecting human walking motion. Technologies for human motion sensing are important for applications such as security systems. Conventionally, a detection system that uses near-infrared rays radiated from the human body has been used for human motion sensing. However, this system faces the problem of false detection resulting from the presence of a heating system or an illumination source inside the room. Furthermore, when the system is used outdoors, sunlight or artificial illuminations result in false detection. This system only detects the presence of a human body and it is difficult for this system to sense human motion. Generally, an image processing method is used in conventional systems for the detection of human motion. However, this method cannot detect human motion in camera dead zones. Furthermore, the image processing system requires complex logic in order to ignore the disturbance caused by the motion of objects other than humans. Alternatively, camera-based motion analysis systems are widely used in many laboratories for detection of human body motion, because they are inexpensive. Motion analysis systems can accurately measure the three-dimensional position of body segments by employing camera-based motion analysis systems. However, camera-based motion analysis systems require a dedicated space, in which multiple cameras are positioned for filming purposes. In the past few years, body-mounted accelerometers have come to be used extensively for the detection of human body motion [1-3], because such systems are inexpensive as compared to camera-based motion capture systems. Another advantage of body-mounted accelerometers is that the system can be used for both indoor and outdoor purposes. However, in these

measurement systems, the sensor must be in contact with the subject. Therefore, such proposed approaches have not been applied to noncontact detection for gait analysis. On the other hand, a human motion detection system that utilizes the quasielectrostatic field generated during walking has been proposed [4,5]. A noncontact measurement technique for human walking detection is employed in the proposed system. The electrification of the human body under the condition that the components of the actions of both feet are superimposed is measured in a remote place. However, the detection levels or polarities vary depending on the type of footwear and floor material. The detection of the quasielectrostatic field is strongly affected by the electromagnetic field generated by electrical equipment such as electric irons and ovens. Therefore, conventional methods for detecting human motion such as walking are not sufficiently effective. Therefore, these methods have not been applied to the noncontact detection of human walking. In this study, we have developed an effective noncontact technique for the detection of human walking motion, using human-generated body charge. This technique involves the measurement of current generated by the motion due to electrostatic induction. This technique involves the detection of an electrostatic induction current of the order of approximately sub-picoamperes flowing through an electrode that is placed at a distance of 1.5 m from a subject. The absolute value of the electrostatic induction current is dependent on the type of footwear and floor material. This technique effectively explains the behavior of the waveform of the electrostatic induction current flowing through a given measurement electrode. A study wherein the left leg of a normal subject was attached to a splint using bandages was conducted in order to determine the change in the subjects gait. It

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PR0002/09/0000-5485 400 2009 SICE

was observed that the waveform of the electrostatic induction current generated by the motion of walking was different under different fastening conditions (cases 13 described in section 3). Experimental results show that the cadence patterns of the induced current differed with those fastening conditions. The proposed technique enables the detection of even subtle differences in walking motion.

due to the motion of the foot and leg after the foot is lifted off the floor. The second term is approximately proportional to the velocity of the foot. Therefore, in the case of walking motion near the measurement electrode, it is possible to measure the current generated under perfect noncontact conditions.

2. PRINCIPLE
The human body is electrically charged during walking [6-8]. In the case of a subject standing or walking, we assume that there are two highly resistive layers between the feet of the subject and the floor, as shown in Fig.1. One layer is the sole of the subjects footwear. The other is the surface of the floor. The capacitance Csf of the feet relative to the ground may be calculated as the sum of the capacitance Cs of the sole and the capacitance Cf of the surface of the floor. In addition, Co is the capacitance of the rest of the subjects body relative to nearby objects on the floor. Therefore, the potential UB of the human body when it is performing walking motion can be expressed as follows.

U B = QB
where

a S + xC B , C B a S

Fig. 1 Schematic of interaction between human body and floor surface.

(1)

3. EXPERIMENT
The schematic of the measurement system for detecting a very weak electric current generated by stepping motion is shown in Fig.2. The electrostatic induction current flowing through the electrode placed at a distance of 1.5 m from the subject was converted into voltage using an I-V converter comprising an operational amplifier. The conversion ratio of the I-V converter was 3 V/pA. A very weak electric current of the order of sub-picoamperes was measured. Induction current generated by a commercial power source is present in the measured electrostatic induction current in the form of noise. Therefore, a filtering system with a cutoff frequency of 20 Hz was used. The analog signals were subsequently converted into digital signals by using an A/D converter, and the obtained data were stored in a personal computer at a sampling frequency of 250 Hz. A detection electrode with an area of 625 cm2 was placed 1 m above the floor and 1.5 m away from the center of the subject. All subjects wore shoes during the experiment. The subjects were asked to walk naturally and a simulated walking action of rehabilitant at the site of the experiment. The intensity of the electrostatic induction current was not dependent on the angle between the electrode and the subjects facing the electrode; it was inversely proportional to the distance between the subject and the electrode. The proposed technique showed good reproducibility. The subjects wore shoes during the experiment. Each subject was asked to perform different tasks; for example, the subject was asked to walk normally (Case 1), walk with the ankle of the left foot fastened to a

C B = C 0 + C sf = C 0 +

CsC f Cs + C f

(2)

QB is the instantaneous charge of the human body during walking motion, a is the permittivity of the air gap between the sole and the floor, and S is the effective sole area at a height x above the floor. The induced charge Q of the measurement electrode placed at a certain distance from the subject can be expressed as follows:

Q = C (U B V ) ,

(3)

where C is the capacitance between the human body and measurement electrode, and V is the potential of the measurement electrode. From the above two equations, the induced current I flowing through the measurement electrode can be expressed as follows:

I=

dU B dQ 1 dx x dS =C = CQB + 2 dt dt a S dt a S dt

(4)

We assume that the human body is a good conductor. The first term in Eq. (4) represents the current induced due to the motion of the foot before it is lifted off the floor. The second term represents the current induced

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splint using bandages (Case 2), and walk with the ankle and knee of the left foot fastened to a splint with bandages (Case 3), as shown in Fig.3. The photograph of the experimental setup is shown in Fig.4.

4. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Fig.5 shows waveforms of the current generated by the human motion of walking. Cadence components are observed in the resulting waveform for each case. These components indicate the presence of a gait cycle in the walking motion. The gait cycle consists of a combination of alternating swing and stance phases of the left and right feet. For example, the waveform obtained for Case 1 contains cadence components of both the feet during bipedal stepping; this reveals that the toe of the left foot is lifted off the floor and the heel of the right foot comes into contact with the floor simultaneously. When the toe of the right foot is lifted off the floor, the effective sole area S decreases and the distance x between the right foot and the floor increases continuously. As a result of the walking motion, the current I flowing through the measurement electrode increases, as predicted by the first term on the right-hand side of Eq. (4). In rapid succession, I decreases, as predicted by the second term on the right-hand side of Eq. (4). Furthermore, in the second half of the swing phase, a rapid decrease in x induces a decrease in I, as predicted by the second term on the right-hand side of Eq. (4). In rapid succession, I decreases due to the increase in the effective sole area S from the heel contact, as predicted by the first term on the right-hand side of Eq. (4). Therefore, Eq. (4) effectively explains the behavior of the waveform of the electrostatic induction current I flowing through the measurement electrode.

Fig. 2 Schematic of system for measuring electrostatic induction current generated by human walking motion.

Pad Splint

Bandages

Fig. 3 Foot fastened to splint using bandages.

Splint and bandages Electrode Fig. 5 Waveform of current generated due to human walking motion. The waveform obtained for Case 2 contains cadence components of both the feet during bipedal stepping, similar to Case 1. This reveals that the eminentia before the toe of the left foot is observed (A in Fig.5). Furthermore, single peaks are transformed into double peaks when the right foot is lifted off the ground (C in Fig.4). According to this result, when the toe of the nonlashing foot (right foot) is lifted off the floor, the

Fig. 4 Photograph of experimental setup for detecting walking motion.

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two instances of changes in the peaks are observed. This result suggests that the manner in which the foot is lifted off the floor is affected by the fastening of the other foot. Despite these differences between waveforms, the value of the peak height of the waveform for the left foot off the ground in Case 2 is almost the same as that in Case 1. The waveform obtained for Case 3 shows that a decrease in the peak height of the waveform for the left foot off the ground is observed (B in Fig.4). From Fig.4, it can be observed that the height of the peaks due to the motion of the left foot decreased depending on the degree of foot motion. Thus, this technique enables us to detect even subtle differences in walking motions.

Another reason for the difference in the walking motions is the differences in the velocity of the foot when it comes in contact with the floor in the swing phase. In this paper, we have proposed an effective noncontact technique for the detection of human walking motion; this technique involves the measurement of current generated by the motion due to electrostatic induction. We have also proposed an occurrence model for the electrostatic induction current generated due to a change in the electric potential of the human body. This model effectively explains the behavior and the waveform of the electrostatic induction current flowing through the measurement electrode. The electrostatic induction current was measured when the subject walked with the ankle and the knee of the left foot fastened to a splint with bandages. The obtained results show that the degree of fastening of the foot is directly reflected in the generated electrostatic induction current. Therefore, we believe that a subtle difference in the walking style is capable of being detected by this technique.

5. CONCLUSION

REFERENCES
[1] JRW. Morris, Accelerometry a technique for the measurement of human body movements, Journal of Biomechanics, Vol. 6, pp. 729-39, 1973. [2] R. Williamson, and BJ. Andrews, Detecting absolute human knee angle and angular velocity using accelerometers and rate gyroscopes, Med. Biol. Eng. Comput., Vol. 39, pp. 1-9, 2001. [3] A. Mansfield, and GM. Lyons, The use of accelerometry to detect heel contact events for use as a sensor in FES assisted walking, Med. Eng. Phys., Vol. 25, pp. 879-85, 2003. [4] K. Takiguchi, T. Wada, and S. Toyama, Human Body Detection that Uses Electric Field by Walking, Journal of Advanced Mechanical Design, Systems, and Manufacturing, Vol. 1, No. 3 pp. 294305, 2007. [5] K. Takiguchi, and S. Toyama, Does a Dog Recognize his Master by an Electric Field? Generation and Transmission of an Electric Field Around a Walker, Journal of International Society of Life Information Science, Vol. 21, No. 2, pp. 428433, 2003. [6] V. Amoruso, M. Helali, and F. Lattarulo, An Improved Model of Man for ESD Application, Journal of Electrostatics, Vol. 49, pp. 225244, 2000. [7] A. Ohsawa, Electrostatic Characterization of Antistatic Floors Using an Equivalent Circuit Model, Journal of Electrostatics, Vol. 5152, pp. 625631, 2001. [8] T. Ficker, Electrification of Human Body by Walking, Journal of Electrostatics, Vol. 64, pp. 10-16, 2006.

Fig. 6 FFT-analyzed spectrum data of electrostatic induction current for human walking motion. Fig. 6 shows the FFT-analyzed spectrum data of the electrostatic induction current waveform generated in each case. A comparison of the spectrum data in this figure reveals that the gait cycle for all the cases is almost identical. Each FFT spectrum shows a peak at approximately 2 Hz. It is obvious that the peak is attributed to the presence of the gait cycle. In Case 1, it can be clearly observed that one primary and some harmonic peaks are induced by the walking cycle. In Case 2, the peaks for higher harmonic frequencies are not observed. Furthermore, low frequency components of less than 0.5 Hz (A in Fig. 6) are observed in this spectrum. In Case 3, similar to Case 2, the peaks for higher harmonic frequencies are not observed. Additional peaks (B and C in Fig. 6) are observed in this case. The intensity of peak B increases with the degree of fastening. This result suggests that the walking cycle is affected by the fastening of the other foot. The degree of fastening is directly reflected in the electrostatic induction current generated due to the walking motion. We can say with fair certainty that the differences in spectra are due to a difference in the velocities at which the feet are lifted off the floor in the stance phase.

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