Introduction:
In this project, we examined Gait, which is a person's manner of walking, in order to understand what the elements caused changes in a person's stride. We focused on how height, speed, and the starting foot effected our walk. We conducted a series of tests which allowed us to gather a variety of data and help us better understand the importance of each component. We used an app to record our gait, and expressed the data in a google sheets. Here, we made graphs and an equation that expressed our findings. After our analysis, we composed the results into an organized report, and walked away from the project with a full understanding of gait and its significance.
Evidence of Work:
To kick off this project, we needed to record data. We orchestrated 8 trials, each with a different factor that we could analyze. We ended up with trials that accounted for walking, running, foot dominance, and momentum. To gather data, we downloaded an accelerometer on our devices, secured it to our subject, and recorded each variation of the experiment. We had our subject walk twice, starting with a different foot each time, and do the same for the running trials. This gave us the range of data we needed. We then transferred our raw numbers from the app onto a spreadsheet, and created a graph for each trial. These visually showed the momentum of each step, and makes our data easier to understand. These can be found in our report or spreadsheet below. After this, we found an equation for our subject's gait. This equation compares the height of our subject to their step frequencies. Our equation was found to be H=3.32F where H is height and F is frequency.
Report:
In this project, we examined Gait, which is a person's manner of walking, in order to understand what the elements caused changes in a person's stride. We focused on how height, speed, and the starting foot effected our walk. We conducted a series of tests which allowed us to gather a variety of data and help us better understand the importance of each component. We used an app to record our gait, and expressed the data in a google sheets. Here, we made graphs and an equation that expressed our findings. After our analysis, we composed the results into an organized report, and walked away from the project with a full understanding of gait and its significance.
Evidence of Work:
To kick off this project, we needed to record data. We orchestrated 8 trials, each with a different factor that we could analyze. We ended up with trials that accounted for walking, running, foot dominance, and momentum. To gather data, we downloaded an accelerometer on our devices, secured it to our subject, and recorded each variation of the experiment. We had our subject walk twice, starting with a different foot each time, and do the same for the running trials. This gave us the range of data we needed. We then transferred our raw numbers from the app onto a spreadsheet, and created a graph for each trial. These visually showed the momentum of each step, and makes our data easier to understand. These can be found in our report or spreadsheet below. After this, we found an equation for our subject's gait. This equation compares the height of our subject to their step frequencies. Our equation was found to be H=3.32F where H is height and F is frequency.
Report:
Micro-Presentation:
Spreadsheet:
Concepts:
accelerometer: In our case, an app that measures the acceleration of the subject while walking
dynamicity: the measurement of the amount of variation in a set of data
gait: The manner in which a person walks
metric: An indicator of a specific component of data
model: A representation of data, either visually or otherwise, that simplifies and observes the behavior of a system.
symmetry: The measurement of variation between right and left-footed steps in experimental data
variability: The variation between one step and the next
Reflection:
This project was a very interesting one. It took something as simple as walking, and analyzed every element of it, taking something purely academic and making it applicable to everyday life. My group and I were able to work well and produce a final product with little setbacks. One thing we really excelled in was communication. We were able to talk to each other, divide up the work, encourage on another, and make sure we were staying on track. We took down each other's phone numbers and were able to work out an equal division of work outside of school. We also succeeded in focus and determination. We didn't distract easily, which made it easy to keep up with the task at hand. Even when we struggled with creating graphs and equations, we didn't give up, and were able to pull through with an accurate and thorough presentation. However, we were not perfect. One thing we struggled with was time management. STEM is a very faced paced class that mirrored a work environment. This means we are often juggling multiple tasks, often with different teams. This made it hard to keep up with our assignment without falling behind on other tasks. We overcame this by working at home, and communicating what needed to be done. Another thing that needed work in our group was understanding. The concept of gait is a complex one, and the spreadsheet, graph, and equation side of this project was difficult. There was a lot of trial and error in comprehending the instructions and carrying out the task, but my group's determination allowed us to overcome this obstacle. Overall, I learned a lot about the elements of gait, and what they say about an individual. This was a challenging and informative project, that helped better my understanding of gait analysis.