Gait Analysis: Future Prospects
By 2030, the gait analysis system market has been projected to be a multimillion-dollar industry. This field has been shown to have vast potential, allowing investors to sow seeds of investment despite the chance of heavy competition. Presently, hospitals and veterinary hospitals show the highest demand for gait analysis systems which is because the available systems can be categorized into two — human use type and veterinary use type. North America and Europe are the current regions leading the gait analysis system market.
As the significance and market potential of gait analysis system rises, there are challenges to the same as well — high cost, highly trained and skilled labor team requirements, extremely intricate and inconvenient equipment, detailed protocols as well as the essential data management and data analysis which works in tandem with traditional gait labs. All these factors result in research being focused within exclusive institutions and underleveraged in more clinical settings. Clinics prefer using observational gait and qualitative scales despite its decreased efficacy due to the same reasons.
There are, however, new methods being created to combat these challenges and increase the accuracy and efficiency of gait analysis. Quantitative Instrumented gait analysis (IGA) is one such proposal which can aid clinical studies by generating accurate and authentic gait data for diagnostics and monitoring. It does, however, have shortcomings in clinical applicability primarily because of logistics.
Another potential field of gait analysis which is emerging is smart wearable technology, rising in popularity with motion sensors in smartphones enabling applications that estimate or count walking steps and identify physical activities like jogging and climbing stairs. The cornerstone in signal processing for these wearable sensors is mathematical modelling, which aids in addressing issues such as gyroscope drift and accelerometer inaccuracies through fusion techniques.
Researchers have also stated that future trends have been predicted to shift towards numerical assessments in gait analysis in comparison to the current trend that highlights machine learning for automated gait analysis which often involves excluding test individuals for generalized models. This limitation of machine learning can be eliminated when it comes to numerical assessment which promises more practical and versatile applications. Wearable sensors are reshaping gait analysis systems, providing real-world assessments and laying the foundations for advanced insights into human mobility and health.
To summarize, the gait analysis market is a potential gold mine, valued in millions by 2030. While current trends render clinical applications and research difficult due to various technicalities, the future prospects aim to utilize sensors present in smartphones and use numerical assessments to create more accurate in inclusive models of gait analysis.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9800936/
https://www.rehab.research.va.gov/mono/gait/kaufman.pdf
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https://breathe.ersjournals.com/content/breathe/13/2/e27/F3.large.jpg
