REMOT - The Real Environment MOvement Tracker

Advances in global navigation satellite system (GNSS) technology have resulted in smaller and more accurate GNSS receivers, which have become increasingly suitable for instantaneous calculations of key performance parameters during sports competitions, as well as in physiotherapy applications. 

In this context, the REMOT project comes into play as it was conceived to facilitate the professional’s interpretation of the patient and/or athlete state of health or performance capacity.

The main idea behind the REMOT project is the development of a low-cost wearable device suitable to provide accurate measurements of the kinematic of the human gait and, more in general, of the human movement in a real-life environment and under normotype condition.   

According to the current state-of-the-art, such measurements are already available but only in indoor laboratory environment or in outdoor normal life condition for a short lapse of time. The goal of REMOT is to overcome all these limitations providing an innovative device to physiotherapists and sport trainers. 
Indeed, such professionals are interested in knowing how the “range of movements” of the joints involved in the activity changes (e.g., a fitness activity or a shift of worker who works outdoors with repetitive gestures). By measuring the position and variations in positions of the joints and the articular segments involved in the movements, REMOT can relate the overall movement with efficiency, fatigue, muscle work, physiological functions (e.g., heart rate), facilitating the professional’s interpretation of the person’ state of health or performance capacity.

Challenge and technical solution

The enabling technology of REMOT innovative capabilities is based on GNSS and Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensor fusion. 

In the gait analysis such an approach, extensively and successfully tested in precise navigation application, allows to synchronise lots of wearable sensors. 

Thus, the adopted technology supports accurate measurements in terms of 3D position in real environmental conditions and for the whole duration of the physical activity, increasing the reliability and usefulness of gathered data.