The method of remote diagnosis of diseases was invented
Last reviewed: 30.05.2018
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Soon medical professionals will be able to diagnose the underlying diseases with a special wall mounted radar.
Specialists - employees of the Laboratory of Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, - came up with an apparatus capable of remotely fixing any changes in the human gait. A detailed scientific report on the research by scientists will be presented at the symposium CHI 2017.
On the changes in the human gait, one can draw conclusions about certain health problems, since such changes are characteristic of many diseases. For example, in patients with Parkinson's disease there is a shortening of steps. But for such a diagnosis it is necessary to trace the patient's gait for a certain time, which was previously difficult to do. In theory, this problem could be handled using special fitness registrars. However, in reality, experts were confronted with the fact that such devices do not accurately assess the human steps, and absolutely are not suitable for controlling the pulse load.
The innovative device, developed by scientists from Massachusetts, was named WiGait. It is a low-power radar that is suitable for use in enclosed spaces. The radar is attached to the wall: from here it produces all measurements and calculations, without the connection of additional antennas and lighthouses. Assessing the type of reflecting and radiated waves, the wall device captures the movement of the patient around the room, simultaneously collecting information on the step length, the number of steps, the actual speed of movement. Moreover, any auxiliary and "superfluous" information about the motor activity of the apparatus is ignored.
Experts have been removed indicators of the movement with the participation of eighteen volunteers. As a result, it was found that the radar apparatus determined the step length and speed of the legs with a minimum error: the accuracy of the obtained data ranged from 85% to 99.8%.
The researchers noted that the use of a radar device has the additional advantage of confidentiality of information. Other methods of obtaining data-for example, evaluating video information from surveillance cameras-can not always guarantee the absolute safety of personal data. That is, virtually any potential con artist theoretically can open access, and not only to information about the motor activity of a person, but also to personal identification.
The radar apparatus for gait monitoring is not the first application of radio transmitting devices intended for fixing all possible indicators of the human body. Increasingly, experts conduct similar experiments using Wi-Fi-distributors. For example, there are already results of studies on the study of the fixation of human emotions, as well as on the assessment of the frequency of cardiac activity and respiratory movements.