Development of human balance assessment system with continuous center of gravity tracking

Abstract

Fall is the second leading cause of injures for older adults in Taiwan. If fall risk can be prevented or decreased, fall and its complications could be reduced effectively. The purpose of this study is to develop the human balance assessment system with LabVIEW program interface. 10 healthy adults were enrolled in this study. They were evaluated under four kinds of postures while standing on a 2-axis force platform for 20 seconds. The results showed the displacements in both X and Y directions were smaller during stand with two legs and open eyes (p<0.05). Balance index results also revealed balance ability become lower while standing with one leg and closed eyes (p<0.05) In conclusion, different postures would affect balance. These differences can be assessed by this system. It is hope fall can be prevented in advanced and decrease the medical burden in older adults by the system in the future. © 2013 Springer-Verlag.