Sit-To-Stand Movement Evaluated Using an Inertial Measurement Unit Embedded in Smart Glasses—A Validation Study

Abstract

Wearable sensors have recently been used to evaluate biomechanical parameters of everyday movements, but few have been located at the head level. This study investigated the relative and absolute reliability (intra- and inter-session) and concurrent validity of an inertial measurement unit (IMU) embedded in smart eyeglasses during sit-to-stand (STS) movements for the measurement of maximal acceleration of the head. Reliability and concurrent validity were investigated in nineteen young and healthy participants by comparing the acceleration values of the glasses’ IMU to an optoelectronic system. Sit-to-stand movements were performed in laboratory conditions using standardized tests. Participants wore the smart glasses and completed two testing sessions with STS movements performed at two speeds (slow and comfortable) under two different conditions (with and without a cervical collar). Both the vertical and anteroposterior acceleration values were collected and analyzed. The use of the cervical collar did not significantly influence the results obtained. The relative reliability intra- and inter-session was good to excellent (i.e., intraclass correlation coefficients were between 0.78 and 0.91) and excellent absolute reliability (i.e., standard error of the measurement lower than 10% of the average test or retest value) was observed for the glasses, especially for the vertical axis. Whatever the testing sessions in all conditions, significant correlations (p < 0.001) were found for the acceleration values recorded either in the vertical axis and in the anteroposterior axis between the glasses and the optoelectronic system. Concurrent validity between the glasses and the optoelectronic system was observed. Our observations indicate that the IMU embedded in smart glasses is accurate to measure vertical acceleration during STS movements. Further studies should investigate the use of these smart glasses to assess the STS movement in unstandardized settings (i.e., clinical and/or home) and to report vertical acceleration values in an elderly population of fallers and non-fallers.