Impact of multidirectional vibratory feedback on posture control during standing and weight lifting: a pilot study

In this pilot study, we investigated the influence of vibratory feedback (VF) on postural control (PC) during frontal weight elevation and standing. We developed a multidirectional VF belt to provide feedback to the user on trunk inclination to correct the center of pressure (CoP) sway. CoP data were measured with a force plate, and user experience was collected through assessed questionnaires. Our findings suggest that VF contributes to a rapid return of the CoP to the Base of Support (BoS) during weight lifting(WL). However, VF may pose challenges during open-eyed conditions or with the addition of a compliant platform, potentially overwhelming users with proprioceptive stimuli and requiring increased attention. Although VF aids in postural correction near the support base and its periphery, individual factors such as user attention and sensitivity influence VF perception. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to validate these findings and explore the efficacy of VF in diverse postural control scenarios.