Novel Soft Haptic Biofeedback—Pilot Study on Postural Balance and Proprioception

Sensors

Emre Sariyildiz¹  Mert Aydin¹  Winson Lee¹  Dilpreet Singh²  Rahim Mutlu³  Robyn Coman⁴  Elizabeth Mayland⁵  Jonathan Shemmell⁶ 

[1] Applied Mechatronics and Biomedical Engineering Research (AMBER) at School of Mechanical, Materials, Mechatronic and Biomedical Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia;Biofabrication and Tissue Morphology (BTM) Group, Centre for Biomedical Technologies, Faculty of Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia;Intelligent Robotics & Autonomous Systems Co (iR@SC), RA Engineering, Shellharbour, NSW 2529, Australia;School of Health & Society, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia;School of Health Sciences, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW 2560, Australia;School of Medical, Indigenous and Health Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia;

关键词: soft haptic;    biofeedback;    proprioception;    soft sensor;    3D printing;   

DOI  :  10.3390/s22103779

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Sensory feedback is critical in proprioception and balance to orchestrate muscles to perform targeted motion(s). Biofeedback plays a significant role in substituting such sensory data when sensory functions of an individual are reduced or lost such as neurological disorders including stroke causing loss of sensory and motor functions requires compensation of both motor and sensory functions. Biofeedback substitution can be in the form of several means: mechanical, electrical, chemical and/or combination. This study proposes a soft monolithic haptic biofeedback device prototyped and pilot tests were conducted with healthy participants that balance and proprioception of the wearer were improved with applied mechanical stimuli on the lower limb(s). The soft monolithic haptic biofeedback device has been developed and manufactured using fused deposition modelling (FDM) that employs soft and flexible materials with low elastic moduli. Experimental results of the pilot tests show that the soft haptic device can effectively improve the balance of the wearer as much as can provide substitute proprioceptive feedback which are critical elements in robotic rehabilitation.

【 授权许可】

Unknown