Validation of the use of a smart band in recording spatiotemporal gait parameters in the 6-minute walk test

Abstract

Wearable monitoring devices, such as smart bands, have emerged as accessible and non-invasive tools for assessing physiological and spatiotemporal gait parameters in various clinical tests. This study aimed to validate the use of the Xiaomi Mi Band 6 for recording gait parameters during the six-minute walk test (6MWT). Seventy participants without gait impairments were recruited, and the measurements obtained with the smart band were compared to reference methods (evaluator, pedometer, and pulse oximeter). The physiological parameter results showed that the smart band demonstrated good accuracy in heart rate monitoring but lower agreement in oxygen saturation measurements. Gait parameters indicated excellent agreement in step count (ICC > 0.9) and step frequency (ICC > 0.75), whereas step length and distance estimations showed higher variability. These findings suggest that the Xiaomi Mi Band 6 is a viable alternative for measuring specific gait parameters, though with limitations in certain aspects of accuracy.