Research Status and Future Directions of Forensic Gait Analysis and Identification: From Experience-Based Practice to an Empirically Grounded Scientific Paradigm

Gait is a unique biometric characteristic that is observable and has become more prominent in forensic applications beyond its traditional use. Investigators often rely on it for suspect profiling and even for use in court. Because of its dynamic and flexible nature, it could remain viable in forensic applications where other biometric elements are diminished. Surveillance videos, even if long-range, low-resolution, and partially masked, can still convey gait. In this paper, the science, the methods, and the forensic applications of gait analysis are analyzed. Within this, we focus on modern research cited on the distinctiveness of an individual’s gait, the intra-individual constancy, and the frameworks and methods that regulate and assess the evidentiary quality of gait analysis. The use of gait in the court of law is still requires further development despite the increasing interest in its applications. Currently, forensic gait analysis primarily focuses on two issues: first, the lack of data from representative populations, which weakens the evaluation of evidential value through probabilistic reasoning—such as the likelihood ratio; and second, contextual biases that may influence the analysis of video footage. Formalized standards that regulate gait analysis and advancements that focus on procedural standards and the communication of evidence are positive steps towards creating a stable platform for probabilistic frameworks. Forensic gait analysis has potential, but the literature suggests that the class-feature level of gait, interpretive bias, control, and verification methodologies, along with representative populations, must be developed. The aim of this is to provide reliable and grounded evidence and support the evaluation of evidential strength.