Validation of a wireless portable biofeedback system for balance control: Preliminary results

The present study describes the results regarding the preliminary validation of a system for rehabilitation of balance control that integrates the most recent technology advances with the latest findings about motor control and rehabilitation-engineering. The biofeedback system is based on a palmtop computer and a body sensor network, with a modular architecture, both hardware and software. Validation was performed on young healthy subjects, simulating impairment to the balance control system at the proprioception level. Promising results were obtained by means of the biofeedback system, both in terms of adequacy and usability of the system, and in terms of improvement of the balance performance.