Validation of smartphone gyroscopes for mobile biofeedback applications

Smartphones are currently the most pervasive wearable devices. One particular use of smartphone inertial sensors is motion tracking in various mobile systems and applications. The objective of this study is to validate smartphone gyroscopes for angular tracking in mobile biofeedback applications. The validation method includes measurements of angular motion performed concurrently by a smartphone gyroscope and a professional optical tracking system serving as the reference. The comparison of the measurement results shows that the inaccuracies of a calibrated smartphone gyroscope for various movements are between 0.42° and 1.15°. Based on the measurement results and the general requirements of biofeedback applications, smartphone gyroscopes are sufficiently accurate for angular motion tracking in mobile biofeedback applications.