Gait analysis

The systematic study of human walking patterns, including step frequency, stride length, body sway, and turning behaviour, using sensors or observation. In accessibility research, gait analysis reveals that blind people who use white canes or guide dogs have distinct walking patterns from sighted walkers — shorter steps, more lateral sway from cane sweeping, different turning dynamics — with significant implications for the accuracy of step counting and navigation algorithms that assume sighted gait characteristics.