Title :
Balance prostheses for postural control
Author :
Wall, Conrad, III ; Weinberg, Marc S.
Author_Institution :
Jenks Vestibular Diagnostic Lab., Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, USA
Abstract :
There is a clear need for a prosthesis that improves postural stability in the balance impaired. Such a device would be used as a temporary aid during recovery from ablative inner-ear surgery and as a permanent prosthesis for those elderly prone to falls. Research using a one-axis device that estimates body tilt and displays it to vestibulopathic subjects via an array of tactile vibrators has demonstrated feasibility. The noninvasive, vibrotactile display of body tilt helped the balance-impaired subjects to reduce their body sway during standardized tests. The motion sensor array is comprised of three MEMS linear accelerometers and three MEMS rate gyros whose sensitive axes are aligned along three orthogonal directions to provide six-degree-of-freedom (dof) motion information.
Keywords :
accelerometers; biocontrol; biomechanics; display instrumentation; geriatrics; handicapped aids; mechanoception; medical control systems; microsensors; patient rehabilitation; prosthetics; sensory aids; tactile sensors; MEMS linear accelerometers; MEMS rate gyros; ablative inner-ear surgery; balance prostheses; balance-impaired subjects; body sway; body tilt; elderly; falls; motion sensor array; noninvasive vibrotactile display; one-axis device; permanent prosthesis; postural control; postural stability; recovery; six-degree-of-freedom motion information; standardized tests; tactile vibrator array; temporary aid; three orthogonal directions; vestibulopathic subjects; Accelerometers; Back; Computer displays; Gyroscopes; Legged locomotion; Micromechanical devices; Prosthetics; Sensor arrays; Skin; Stability;
Journal_Title :
Engineering in Medicine and Biology Magazine, IEEE
DOI :
10.1109/MEMB.2003.1195701