Design and Development of a Low-Cost Force Plate with Software Application for Analyzing Balance and Coordination Training for Elderly

Abstract

The physical fitness of the elderly is more likely to deteriorate by aging. Balance and coordination exercise are important to maintain the strength of the musculoskeletal system, joints and bones as well as to reduce the risk of falling. This paper is systematically designed and development of a low-cost force plate with software application (StandBalance) for analyzing balance and coordination training for elderly. The structure of force plate consists of load cell circuits connected with Node32s board as a part of signal measurement and send wireless data via Bluetooth to analyze with LabView. The software application can real-time record and display numerical data such as the patient’s weight and training information which could send feedback to the users and health care providers who can more accurately analyze and more easily search for the patient’s information. The software has been designed in 4 operating modes (Balance Screening, Exercise, Games and CoP Modes). The objective of this research study was to test whether the StandBalancecould detect CoPandGRFssignal and display the result whether it was accuracy and repeatability to use for effective. This research was found that the percentage error of static weight measurement is 4.84 which assume it can acceptably measure the GRFs especially when the human body is contact to the developed force plate. Moreover, the absolute error of CoP-accuracy of (Top Left, Top Middle, Top Right, Middle Left, Center, Middle Right, Bottom Left, Bottom Middle, Bottom Right) study areas are 5.14, 4.08, 5.44, 5.02, 5.88, 7.25, 4.49, 5.28, 6.47 mm. respectivelyand the percentage error of CoP-repeatability of study areas are 0.82, 0.74, 1.21, 0.95, 1.34, 0.89, 0.74, 1.13, 1.18 respectively. The absolute erorr of CoP-accuracy are close to 0 mm. and the percentageerror of CoP-repeatability are less than 5 which showhigh accuracy and precision that adequadefor StandBalance to assess balance and train coordination. Therefore, it could ensure that the StandBalancecould detect CoP and GRFs effectively and can use as a device for further clinical implementation with human.