Does ultra low cost = ultra low quality? Dynamic performance of budget data logging accelerometers

Over the past two decades the cost of whole-body vibration data logging hardware and software has fallen from tens of thousands of pounds to freely downloadable apps that can run on a standard current smartphone. This paper compares the performance of different whole-body vibration measurement systems in a laboratory setting. It is concluded that, in the hands of expert users, low cost measurement devices may have a place in quick and cheap whole-body vibration assessments. However, there are still many possibilities for untrained users to make fundamental mistakes in the data acquisition, analysis and interpretation remain a need for experts using precision instrumentation.