How men and women move is specific to the human species, and unlike any other animal on the planet. Animators, filmmakers, artists, designers, doctors, product developers and many others require a thorough understanding of human motion in order to produce accurate representations and applicable products. An understanding of the basic human gait is the fundamental steppingstone to understanding human motion in general.

The human gait is analyzed through observation and research. Since the development of photography, identification of human gaits has been recorded and studied – however, studies using the naked eye are also acceptable. Later, videos and film were used to record movement. By watching these recordings, individuals were able to document the movements of walking, running, jogging and other types of human gaits. In modern day laboratories, scientists use computer technology and markers to record joint and muscle movements in a human gait. Force impacts can also be measured thanks to special platforms.

There are different parameters to measuring the human gait. The basic parameters include the length of steps taken, the speed of the gait, the length of a stride, the angle of the foot, the line of progression and the number of steps per minute. Measuring these parameters in a controlled environment can give scientists a dependable idea of the basic human gait. However, there are multiple more factors that contribute to an individual’s human gait aside from these basic parameters. These include any outside factors, such as shoes and clothing; physical impairments; weight; height; sex; psychological issues, disease and much more. Even a person’s individual mood has been seen to affect different aspects of their gait.

By identifying or recognizing different types of human gait, individuals can apply this knowledge to a wide variety of areas. Medical officials use human gait analysis to diagnose certain disease, such as cerebral palsy. Changes in gait may also be a sign of psychological or pathological changes. Sports trainers use human gait analysis to improve their athlete’s performances and apply proper training exercises. Scientific studies of ancient history can even use human gait analysis to determine the patterns and characteristics of early humans. In forensic labs and criminal identification, human gait analysis can be used to identify suspects by measuring, recording and matching footsteps or other gait markers left at a crime scene. Forensic scientists can even use gait analysis in crime scene reenactments to determine the events the night of the crime.

There are many great reasons to study human gait recognition, and many effective ways scientists have developed to study it. The applications of understanding human motion are numerous, and lead us to a better understanding of mankind as an entire species.