A Real-Time System With Assistive Feedback for Postural Control in Rehabilitation

In therapeutic applications, the use of biofeedback devices has been identified to improve postural control and stability in individuals with sensory deformations. Biofeedback devices employ a variety of feedback modalities, and vibrotactile feedback has gained popularity in recent developments as an appropriate means of providing feedback. This paper describes a real-time biofeedback system developed for rehabilitative applications with the use of vibrotactile biofeedback. The prototype includes an inertial sensor for tilt angle measurements, custom-developed software for data processing, data display and feedback generation, and a wearable vibration stimulation module for biofeedback. The implementation provides vibrotactile feedback for tilt angle measurements based on a target threshold range. Tandem Romberg standing tests were performed to assess the viability of the system for accurate, real-time performance, and the impact of vibrotactile feedback strategy to convey information in a realistic manner. The results verified the suitability of the system for clinical applications pertaining to postural control improvements.