Sensor-Equipped Platform With U-Shaped Support for Balance Diagnosis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing balance assessment systems are complex and limited in their ability to measure and exercise balance with precision, as they require controlling multiple actuators for platform movement and often focus only on foot movements, neglecting the body's overall balance.
Innovation Solution
A system with a sensor-equipped platform and U-shaped support structure using three linear actuators for simplified control of platform movements, incorporating adjustable height and inclination, and force sensors for comprehensive balance assessment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple actuators (6 per platform) are used to control platform movement with 6 degrees of freedom, then the system provides enormous capacity for movement and can measure forces in patients' feet, but the control becomes relatively complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the complex 6-DOF platform control into two independent parts: a fixed platform that remains stationary and a mobile platform that provides movement. The mobile platform uses only 3 actuators instead of 6, controlling only the necessary degrees of freedom for balance exercise. This segmentation reduces control complexity while maintaining therapeutic effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and removes the unnecessary fixed platform from the system, keeping only the essential mobile platform with 3 actuators. This eliminates the complexity of controlling 6 actuators per platform while preserving the core functionality of measuring foot forces and exercising balance through controlled movement.
2Measurement precision
If force sensors are located in fastening elements that prevent foot movement, then forces exerted by patients' feet can be measured, but the system only measures foot movements and neglects the body's overall balance
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile platform serves multiple functions simultaneously: it measures forces through integrated force sensors, exercises balance through controlled movement, and assesses overall body balance posture. By making the platform mobile rather than fixed, it can dynamically interact with the patient's center of pressure, providing comprehensive balance assessment beyond just foot force measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static fixed platform to a dynamic mobile platform that can move in response to patient balance needs. This dynamic capability allows the platform to track and measure the patient's center of pressure movements throughout the support surface, enabling comprehensive assessment of overall body balance while maintaining precise force measurement through integrated sensors.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a fixed platform is used with fastening elements, then the structure is stable, but the system cannot easily adjust height and inclination for different therapeutic needs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transforms the static fixed platform into a dynamic mobile platform that can adjust its position, height, and inclination. The mobile platform is supported by 3 actuators that enable controlled movement while maintaining stability during exercise. This dynamic design allows easy adjustment for different therapeutic needs while preserving structural stability through active control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces the mechanical adjustment mechanisms of a fixed platform with an actively controlled mobile platform system. Instead of mechanically adjusting a fixed structure, the mobile platform uses actuators to dynamically position itself, providing adjustability through control systems rather than mechanical reconfiguration, thereby maintaining stability while enabling versatility.
Data Source
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AI summary
System (1) for diagnosing the balance of a user or patient, comprising a platform (2, 21), a U-shaped support structure (3) and at least three linear actuators (A1, A2, A3) characterized in that the U-shaped support structure (3) partially surrounds the sensor-equipped platform (2) allowing a user access to said platform (2), and in that said structure has guiding elements (70) for guiding the mobile ends (211, 221, 231) of said actuators that allow the vertical displacement of said mobile ends with respect to the structure (3), said mobile ends (211, 221, 231) being mechanically connected to the platform (2, 21) such that when said mobile ends (211, 221, 231) are vertically displaced, they cause the movement of the platform (2, 21).