Validating the BTrackS Balance Plate as a low cost alternative for the measurement of sway-induced center of pressure

In this study, we developed a low-cost simulated testbed of a physically interactive virtual reality (VR) system and evaluated its efficacy as an occupational virtual trainer for human-robot collaborative (HRC) tasks. The VR system could be implemented in industrial training applications for sensorimotor skill acquisitions and identifying potential task-, robot-, and human-induced hazards in the industrial environments. One of the challenges in designing and implementing such simulation testbed is the effective integration of virtual and real objects and environment, including human movement biomechanics. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the movement kinematics (joint angles) and kinetics (center of pressure) of the human participants while performing pick-and-place lifting tasks with and without using a physically interactive VR testbed. Results showed marginal differences in human movement kinematics and kinetics between real and virtual environment tasks, suggesting the effective transfer of training benefits from VR to real-life situations.

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A Mathematical Model to Examine Issues Associated With Using Portable Force-Measurement Technologies to Collect Infant Postural Data

Journal of Motor Learning and Development ◽

10.1123/jmld.2019-0009 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 14-37 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

James R. Chagdes ◽

Joshua J. Liddy ◽

Amanda J. Arnold ◽

Laura J. Claxton ◽

Jeffrey M. Haddad

Keyword(s):

Mathematical Model ◽

Center Of Pressure ◽

Force Measurement ◽

Low Cost ◽

Body Sway ◽

Support Surface ◽

Experimental Setup ◽

Mathematical Simulations ◽

Additional Support

Portable force-measurement technologies are becoming increasingly popular tools to examine the maturation of postural motor milestones, such as sitting and standing, in infants. These convenient, low-cost devices provide numerous opportunities to characterize postural development outside of the laboratory. However, it is important to understand the unique challenges and technical limitations associated with collecting center of pressure (CoP) data using portable force-measurement technologies in infant populations. This study uses a mathematical model to examine issues that emerge when using portable force-measurement technologies to collect sitting and standing postural data in infants. The results of our mathematical simulations demonstrate that the CoP errors from portable force-measurement technologies depend on the posture examined (e.g., sitting vs. standing), the anthropometrics of the person (e.g., height and weight), the frequency of body sway, and the experimental setup (e.g., an additional support surface being placed on top of the device). Recommendations are provided for developmental researchers interested in adopting these technologies in infant populations.

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Plantar Pressure Changes and Their Relationships with Low Back Pain during Pregnancy Using Instrumented Insoles

Journal of Sensors ◽

10.1155/2019/1567584 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Fernando Martínez-Martí ◽

Olga Ocón-Hernández ◽

María Sofía Martínez-García ◽

Francisco Torres-Ruiz ◽

Antonio Martínez-Olmos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Low Back Pain ◽

Back Pain ◽

Plantar Pressure ◽

Center Of Pressure ◽

Low Cost ◽

Low Back ◽

Gait Parameters ◽

Pregnancy And Postpartum ◽

Pain Prevalence ◽

Pressure Changes

Low back pain affects around 50% of pregnant women and presents significant morbidity and persistence for years in 20% of postpartum women who report that pain. Numerous studies have documented gait alterations during pregnancy and postpartum. Therefore, an analysis of the relationship between certain gait parameters and low back pain was attempted using low-cost validated instrumented insoles. This work presents a longitudinal cohort study carried out during routine gynecological follow-up visits in the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy at an Obstetrics and Gynecology Service. Sample size was 62. Plantar pressure data were collected with specially designed instrumented insoles containing four force sensors to measure peak pressure, center of pressure, and stance phase time in each foot and in each pregnancy trimester. The analysis was carried out on a two-dimensional level, simultaneously considering the data from both feet using Hotelling’s T2 test. This longitudinal study detected relationships between certain gait parameter changes and low back pain during pregnancy. It revealed a cyclic tendency of low back pain prevalence with a maximum in the second trimester and a decrease in the third trimester, which was correlated with alterations of the pregnant gait: excessive foot pronation and rearfoot pressure increase.

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Evaluation of a Low-Cost Pneumatic Plantar Pressure Insole for Predicting Ground Contact Kinetics

Journal of Applied Biomechanics ◽

10.1123/jab.2015-0142 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 32 (2) ◽

pp. 215-220 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Daniel A. Jacobs ◽

Daniel P. Ferris

Keyword(s):

Root Mean Square Error ◽

Mean Square Error ◽

Root Mean Square ◽

Plantar Pressure ◽

Center Of Pressure ◽

Low Cost ◽

Position Vector ◽

Mean Square ◽

Torque Vector ◽

Sit To Stand

Instrumented insoles could benefit locomotion research on healthy and clinical populations by providing data in natural settings outside of the laboratory. We designed a low-cost, instrumented insole with 8 pneumatic bladders to measure localized plantar pressure information. We collected gait data during treadmill walking at 1.0 m/s and 1.5 m/s and for sit-to-stand and stand-tosit tasks for 10 subjects. We estimated a common representation of ground kinetics (3-component force vector, 2-component center of pressure position vector, and a single-component torque vector) from the insole data. We trained an intertask neural network for each component of the kinetic data. For the walking tasks at 1.0 m/s and 1.5 m/s, the normalized root mean square error was between 3.1% and 12.9% and for the sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit tasks, the normalized root mean square error was between 3.3% and 21.3% Our findings suggest that the proposed low-cost, instrumented insoles could provide useful data about movement kinetics during real-world activities.

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Kinect-based posturography for in-home rehabilitation of balance disorders

APSIPA Transactions on Signal and Information Processing ◽

10.1017/atsip.2015.17 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Tomoya Tamei ◽

Yasuyuki Orito ◽

Hiroyuki Funaya ◽

Kazushi Ikeda ◽

Yohei Okada ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Center Of Pressure ◽

Low Cost ◽

Body Motion ◽

Whole Body ◽

Balance Disorders ◽

Wii Balance Board ◽

Rehabilitation System ◽

Optical Motion ◽

Optical Motion Capture ◽

Balance Board

Low-cost, compact, and accurate systems for in-home rehabilitation are needed in aging, aged, and hyper-aged groups. In this study, we developed an in-home rehabilitation system for patients with balance disorders by providing visual feedback of postural information in real-time. Our system measures the user's whole body motion and the center of pressure (COP) using a Kinect and Wii Balance Board (WBB). The accuracy of body motion for estimating the anterior folding and lateral bending angles was validated experimentally by comparing the estimates with the angles given by an optical motion capture system. Additional experiments showed that the COP has a small correlation coefficient with the angles, suggesting that WBB is necessary for measuring the COP.

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Implementation and design of new low-cost foot pressure sensor module using piezoelectric sensor in T-FLoW humanoid robot

International Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering (IJECE) ◽

10.11591/ijece.v9i1.pp203-214 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 203

Author(s):

R. Dimas Pristovani ◽

Dewanto Sanggar ◽

Pramadihanto Dadet

Keyword(s):

Pressure Sensor ◽

Humanoid Robot ◽

Body Force ◽

Center Of Pressure ◽

Low Cost ◽

Piezoelectric Sensor ◽

Position Vector ◽

Stream Data ◽

Foot Pressure ◽

Sensor Module

<span lang="EN-US">Basically, human can sense the active body force trough the soles of their feet and can feel the position vector of zero moment point (ZMP) based on the center of pressure (CoP) from active body force. This behavior is adapted by T-FLoW humanoid robot using unique sensor which is piezoelectric sensor. Piezoelectric sensor has a characteristic which is non-continuous reading (record a data only a moment). Because of it, this sensor cannot be used to stream data such as flex sensor, loadcell sensor, and torque sensor like previous research. Therefore, the piezoelectric sensor still can be used to measure the position vector of ZMP. The idea is using this sensor in a special condition which is during landing condition. By utilizing 6 unit of piezoelectric sensor with a certain placement, the position vector of ZMP (X-Y-axis) and pressure value in Z-axis from action body force can be found. The force resultant method is used to find the position vector of ZMP from each piezoelectric sensor. Based on those final conclusions in each experiment, the implementation of foot pressure sensor modul using piezoelectric sensor has a good result (94%) as shown in final conclusions in each experiment. The advantages of this new foot pressure sensor modul is low-cost design and similar result with another sensor. The disadvantages of this sensor are because of the main characteristic of piezoelectric sensor (non-continuous read) sometimes the calculation has outlayer data.</span>

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A novel model to quantify balance alterations in older adults based on the center of pressure (CoP) measurements with a cross-sectional study

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0256129 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (8) ◽

pp. e0256129

Author(s):

Ángel Gabriel Estévez-Pedraza ◽

Lorena Parra-Rodríguez ◽

Rigoberto Martínez-Méndez ◽

Otniel Portillo-Rodríguez ◽

Zoraida Ronzón-Hernández

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Fall Risk ◽

Center Of Pressure ◽

Low Cost ◽

Area Under The Curve ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Mean Velocity ◽

Cross Sectional

Background The timely detection of fall risk or balance impairment in older adults is transcendental because, based on a reliable diagnosis, clinical actions can be taken to prevent accidents. This study presents a statistical model to estimate the fall risk from the center of pressure (CoP) data. Methods This study is a cross-sectional analysis from a cohort of community-dwelling older adults aged 60 and over living in Mexico City. CoP balance assessments were conducted in 414 older adults (72.2% females) with a mean age of 70.23 ± 6.68, using a modified and previously validated Wii Balance Board (MWBB) platform. From this information, 78 CoP indexes were calculated and analyzed. Multiple logistic regression models were fitted in order to estimate the relationship between balance alteration and the CoP indexes and other covariables. Results The CoP velocity index in the Antero-Posterior direction with open eyes (MVELAPOE) had the best value of area under the curve (AUC) to identify a balance alteration (0.714), and in the adjusted model, AUC was increased to 0.827. Older adults with their mean velocity higher than 14.24 mm/s had more risk of presenting a balance alteration than those below this value (OR (Odd Ratio) = 2.94, p<0.001, 95% C.I.(Confidence Interval) 1.68–5.15). Individuals with increased age and BMI were more likely to present a balance alteration (OR 1.17, p<0.001, 95% C.I. 1.12–1.23; OR 1.17, p<0.001, 95% C.I. 1.10–1.25). Contrary to what is reported in the literature, sex was not associated with presenting a balance alteration (p = 0.441, 95% C.I. 0.70–2.27). Significance The proposed model had a discriminatory capacity higher than those estimated by similar means and resources to this research and was implemented in an embedded standalone system which is low-cost, portable, and easy-to-use, ideal for non-laboratory environments. The authors recommend using this technology to support and complement the clinical tools to attend to the serious public health problem represented by falls in older adults.

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Preseason to Postseason Changes on the BTrackS Force Plate in a Sample of College Athletes

Journal of Sport Rehabilitation ◽

10.1123/jsr.2018-0304 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 29 (1) ◽

pp. 134-136

Author(s):

Ryan Morrison ◽

Kyle M. Petit ◽

Chris Kuenze ◽

Ryan N. Moran ◽

Tracey Covassin

Keyword(s):

Athletic Training ◽

Path Length ◽

College Athletes ◽

Center Of Pressure ◽

Low Cost ◽

Force Plate ◽

Minimal Detectable Change ◽

Detectable Change ◽

Competitive Season ◽

Significant Difference

Context: Balance testing is a vital component in the evaluation and management of sport-related concussion. Few studies have examined the use of objective, low-cost, force-plate balance systems and changes in balance after a competitive season. Objective: To examine the extent of preseason versus postseason static balance changes using the Balance Tracking System (BTrackS) force plate in college athletes. Design: Pretest, posttest design. Setting: Athletic training facility. Participants: A total of 47 healthy, Division-I student-athletes (33 males and 14 females; age 18.4 [0.5] y, height 71.8 [10.8] cm, weight 85.6 [21.7] kg) participated in this study. Main Outcome Measures: Total center of pressure path length was measured preseason and postseason using the BTrackS force plate. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test was conducted to examine preseason and postseason changes. SEM and minimal detectable change were also calculated. Results: There was a significant difference in center of pressure path length differed between preseason (24.6 [6.8] cm) and postseason (22.7 [5.4] cm) intervals (P = .03), with an SEM of 3.8 cm and minimal detectable change of 10.5 cm. Conclusions: Significant improvements occurred for center of pressure path length after a competitive season, when assessed using the BTrackS in a sample of college athletes. Further research is warranted to determine the effectiveness of the BTrackS as a reliable, low-cost alternative to force-plate balance systems. In addition, clinicians may need to update baseline balance assessments more frequently to account for improvements.

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Estimation of Foot Plantar Center of Pressure Trajectories with Low-Cost Instrumented Insoles Using an Individual-Specific Nonlinear Model

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s18020421 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 18 (2) ◽

pp. 421 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Xinyao Hu ◽

Jun Zhao ◽

Dongsheng Peng ◽

Zhenglong Sun ◽

Xingda Qu

Keyword(s):

Nonlinear Model ◽

Center Of Pressure ◽

Low Cost

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Assessment of Visual Reliance in Balance Control: An Inexpensive Extension of the Static Posturography

Journal of Medical Engineering ◽

10.1155/2014/248316 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jozef Púčik ◽

Marián Šaling ◽

Tomáš Lukáč ◽

Oldřich Ondráček ◽

Martin Kucharík

Keyword(s):

Center Of Pressure ◽

Balance Control ◽

Low Cost ◽

Force Plate ◽

Sensory Information ◽

Health Concern ◽

Elderly Subjects ◽

Upright Stance ◽

Discrimination Power ◽

Age Related

Ability of humans to maintain balance in an upright stance and during movement activities is one of the most natural skills affecting everyday life. This ability progressively deteriorates with increasing age, and balance impairment, often aggravated by age-related diseases, can result in falls that adversely impact the quality of life. Falls represent serious problems of health concern associated with aging. Many investigators, involved in different science disciplines such as medicine, engineering, psychology, and sport, have been attracted by a research of the human upright stance. In a clinical practice, stabilometry based on the force plate is the most widely available procedure used to evaluate the balance. In this paper, we have proposed a low-cost extension of the conventional stabilometry by the multimedia technology that allows identifying potentially disturbing effects of visual sensory information. Due to the proposed extension, a stabilometric assessment in terms of line integral of center of pressure (COP) during moving scene stimuli shows higher discrimination power between young healthy and elderly subjects with supposed stronger visual reliance.

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