Method for determining the time required for a timed up and go test

A method for determining a time required for a Timed Up and Go Test and verifying a result obtained, the method comprises the steps of:

• furnishing distance measurement equipment that continuously measures a distance from a subject in front of a chair to a backrest of the chair and forwards the distance to a controller during a test;
• positioning the chair at a specified distance from a wall, obstacle, or marking;
• continuously recording distance measurements by the distance measurement equipment;
• comparing the distance measurements obtained before a start of the test with a predetermined threshold value and in this way, a correct position of the chair is determined, if the distance measurements obtained are within a predetermined distance range and/or if the orientation of the distance measurement equipment corresponds to a predetermined orientation;
• instructing the subject to stand up from the chair, walk forward toward the wall, the obstacle or the marking, and then turn around, and sit back down on the chair, and the subject carries out instructions to a best of an ability of the subject;
• checking whether the subject is sitting on the chair and if the subject has done so for a specified time interval, timekeeping is started and a specified start signal is output;
• stopping the timekeeping when the subject sits back down on the chair;
• generating a signal from the distance measurements received over a period of time, and the signal is analyzed in order to determine:
• a) whether the signal continuously increases in a first time range and;
• and
• b) whether the signal continuously decreases again after a predetermined turn-around threshold value is exceeded and;
• and
• assuming, as long as the conditions a) and b) are met, the test is considered to have been completed correctly and a duration of the timekeeping that was required in order to complete the test is kept available and is selectively displayed.