In this paper, we analyze the micro-Doppler signatures of elderly gait patterns in the presence of walking aids using radars. The signatures are based on real data experiments conducted in a laboratory environment using human subjects walking with a walking cane and a walker. Short-time Fourier transform is used to provide the local signal behavior over frequency and to detail the changes in the micro-Doppler signatures over time. Intrinsic differences in the Doppler and micro-Doppler signatures of the elderly gait observed with and without the use of a walking aid are highlighted. Features that capture these differences can be effective in discriminating gait with walking aids from normal human gait.

Date Published: 21 May 2015
PDF: 6 pages
Proc. SPIE 9461, Radar Sensor Technology XIX; and Active and Passive Signatures VI, 94611A (21 May 2015); doi: 10.1117/12.2178398

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9461:
Radar Sensor Technology XIX; and Active and Passive Signatures VI
G. Charmaine Gilbreath; Kenneth I. Ranney; Armin Doerry; Chadwick Todd Hawley, Editor(s)