Universidad
Politécnica de Madrid

18.02.2026

Within the framework of a project funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, and in collaboration with the Neurology Department of the Hospital General Unversitario Gregorio Marañón, a team of researchers from the School of Telecommunications Engineering (ETSIT) at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), led by professors Jesús Grajal and Juan Ignacio Godino Llorente, participated in the development of a prototype capable of extracting gait biomarkers related to Parkinson's disease. These biomarkers make possible identify motor alterations characteristic of the disease even in its early stages.

Radar system: its size (8cm x 5cm) is similar to a cell phone and its price is under €150. Source: UPM.

Advanced algorithms have been implemented to analyze the data, allowing the extraction of numerous key parameters related to the disease. Among these, an innovative methodology stands out, developed in collaboration with researchers from TU Delft University in the Netherlands. This methodology allows the evaluation of gait symmetry—that is, the differences in movement between both sides of the body—one of the most relevant indicators of Parkinson's disease in its early stages. During the project's development, it was verified that the radars designed by the GMR achieve a level of accuracy comparable to that of infrared cameras, currently considered the most advanced technology for gait analysis. This validation was possible thanks to the collaboration of specialists from the Laboratory Análisis del Movimiento, Biomecánica, Ergonomía y Control Motor at Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (LAMBECOM), as well as from the Laboratorio de Biomecánica Deportiva at INEF-UPM.

“Furthermore, because they don't capture images and have a low cost, these devices could be easily deployed in homes or social and healthcare centers, allowing continuous gait monitoring without compromising user privacy. This prolonged monitoring would provide healthcare professionals with more data per patient, leading to more accurate and personalized diagnoses,” says Ignacio López Delgado, a GMR researcher who was part of the team. “Likewise, the radars could be used to prevent falls or to evaluate patients' response to new drug treatments,” the researcher concludes.

Radars deployed at the Gregorio Marañón Hospital, tracking the movements of a project researcher. Source: UPM.

Currently, the radars developed by the GMR are being used at the Gregorio Marañón Hospital to analyze the gait of patients already diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, control subjects, and individuals with a high probability of developing the disease in the coming years. Preliminary results indicate that it is possible to detect gait abnormalities that could lead to earlier diagnosis. Looking ahead, the researchers plan to combine the data captured by these radars with artificial intelligence systems, with the aim of further improving early detection and supporting clinical diagnosis. This work is part of several doctoral theses focused on the detection of Parkinson's disease, the monitoring of vital signs, and other radar applications in health and safety, all supervised by professor Jesús Grajal, head of the Grupo de Microondas y Radar at the UPM.

Ignacio E. López-Delgado, Víctor Navarro-López, Francisco Grandas-Pérez, Juan I. Godino-Llorente, Jesús Grajal. Radar Network for Gait Monitoring: Technology and Validation. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING, VOL. 73, NO. 1, JANUARY 2026. doi.org/10.1109/TBME.2025.3583785

Ignacio E. López-Delgado, Dingyang Wang, Francesco Fioranelli, Jesús Grajal. Gait Symmetry Analysis With FMCW MIMO Radar. IEEE Transactions on Microwave. Volume: 73 Issue: 8. doi.org/10.1109/TMTT.2025.3542183