Body Center Measuring Apparatus for Balance Compensation
Solution Overview
Problem
Current balance compensating devices for individuals with balance disorders, such as Parkinson's disease or ataxia, require customization and professional fitting, making them cumbersome and time-consuming, and their effectiveness depends heavily on the skills of trained therapists for proper weight placement and distribution.
Innovation Solution
A balance compensating system comprising a body center measuring apparatus and an information processing apparatus that allows ordinary persons to determine the optimal weight size and placement position for a balance compensating vest, using sensors and a processing unit to calculate the center of gravity and tremor compensation, enabling self-fitting and adjustment without professional intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If balance compensating devices are customized through professional tests and fitting by trained therapists, then the effectiveness and precision of weight placement is improved, but the time consumption and complexity of the process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables patients to perform their own balance assessment and weight placement without requiring trained therapists. The automated measurement system guides patients through the process, allowing them to self-determine optimal weight positions based on their body center measurements, thereby eliminating the need for professional intervention while maintaining accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of therapist-based assessment and weight placement with an automated measurement system that uses sensors and computational algorithms to determine body center position and calculate optimal weight placement positions, substituting human expertise with an automated technical system.
2Reliability
If balance compensating devices require professional fitting and customization, then the reliability of balance compensation is improved, but the ease of operation and accessibility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system empowers patients to independently perform balance assessment and weight configuration through an automated measurement system that provides real-time feedback and guidance, making the previously professional-only process accessible to ordinary users while maintaining reliability through objective measurement data.
Solution Approach 2:
The measurement system provides real-time feedback to patients during the assessment process, displaying body center position and guiding them to adjust their posture or weight placement until optimal balance is achieved, enabling self-correction and ensuring reliable results without professional intervention.
3Ease of operation
If multiple sensors and processing units are used to enable self-fitting, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement system is designed to perform multiple functions including body center detection, weight placement calculation, and real-time feedback provision, allowing a single integrated system to replace multiple separate devices and processes, thereby managing complexity through functional consolidation rather than proliferation of components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables effective balance compensation and tremor reduction for individuals with balance disorders, improving daily activities by allowing self-determination of weight placement and distribution, reducing the need for professional assistance and increasing accessibility.
Implementation Method 1
a sensor unit which measures, when the patient stands on the platform, a distribution of a body weight of the patient on the platform
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus for determining balance compensation includes a platform, sensors and a processor. The platform is configured for a person to stand on the platform. The sensors are coupled to the platform and measure at least one of a weight and a pressure. The processor determines a balance of the person based on the measurements of the sensors.