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A Vibrotactile Feedback Device for Seated Balance Assessment and Training
Published on: January 20, 2019
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Reliability of assessing postural control during seated balancing using a physical human-robot interaction.
Ahmed Ramadan1, Jacek Cholewicki2, Clark J Radcliffe3
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA; MSU Center for Orthopedic Research, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, Lansing, MI, USA.
Journal of Biomechanics
|October 26, 2017
Summary
This study found a reliable seated balance test for measuring trunk motor control. The test uses physical human-robot interaction (pHRI) and shows high reliability across multiple visits and conditions.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Motor Control
- Robotics
Background:
- Trunk motor control is crucial for balance and daily activities.
- Quantifying trunk motor control reliability is essential for clinical assessment.
- Existing methods may lack objective and repeatable measures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the within- and between-visit reliability of a novel seated balance test.
- To quantify trunk motor control using input-output data from physical human-robot interaction (pHRI).
- To assess reliability under various sensory conditions (eyes open, eyes closed, vibration).
Main Methods:
- Thirty healthy subjects performed a seated balance test on a torque-controlled robotic seat.
- Subjects controlled trunk rotation against pseudorandom torque perturbations in the coronal plane.
- Performance was measured using root mean square error (RMSE) and mean bandpass signal energy (Emb).
- Reliability was assessed using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) and coefficients of multiple correlation (CMC) for transfer functions.
Main Results:
- ICCs for RMSE and Emb were consistently high (≥0.84) across all conditions.
- Mean within- and between-visit CMCs for transfer functions were high (≥0.96 for lower body, ≥0.89 for upper body rotation).
- The seated balance test demonstrated excellent reliability for both time and frequency domain measures.
Conclusions:
- The developed seated balance test using pHRI is a reliable method for assessing coronal plane trunk motor control.
- The test provides objective and repeatable measures suitable for research and potentially clinical applications.
- The findings support the use of this robotic system for evaluating motor control in healthy individuals.
