Force measurement system

• US 10,231,662 B1
• Filed: 07/02/2018
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bertec Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bertec Corporation
• Inventors: Berme, Necip, Oravec, David James, Gokoglu, Aysun
• Primary Examiner(s): Amini, Javid A
• Application Number:
  US16/025,321
• Time in Patent Office: 260 Days
• Field of Search: 345633
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4023 Evaluating sense of balance
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/1627 of strain gauges using piezoresistors G01L5/162
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/225 to foot actuated controls, e.g. brake pedals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0334 Foot operated pointing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00

Abstract

A force measurement system is disclosed herein. The force measurement system includes a force measurement assembly configured to receive a subject thereon, a visual display device having an output screen, and one or more data processing devices operatively coupled to the force measurement assembly and the visual display device. In the one or more embodiments, the force measurement assembly is a static force plate and the visual display device is a head-mounted visual display device or a visual display device having an output screen configured to at least partially circumscribe three sides of a torso of the subject. In one or more other embodiments, the force measurement assembly is a displaceable force plate and the visual display device is a head-mounted visual display device.

Claims

1. A force measurement system, comprising:

a force measurement assembly configured to receive a subject, the force measurement assembly including;

a surface for receiving at least one portion of the body of the subject; and

at least one force transducer, the at least one force transducer configured to sense one or more measured quantities and output one or more signals that are representative of forces and/or moments being applied to the surface of the force measurement assembly by the subject;

a head-mounted visual display device having an output screen, the head-mounted visual display device configured to display one or more scenes on the output screen so that the scenes are viewable by the subject, wherein the one or more scenes are configured to create a simulated and/or augmented environment for the subject, wherein the head-mounted visual display device has a horizontal field of view of at least 110 degrees and a vertical field of view of at least 90 degrees, and wherein the head-mounted visual display device has a refresh rate of at least 59 Hertz; and

a data processing device operatively coupled to the force measurement assembly and the head-mounted visual display device, the data processing device configured to receive the one or more signals that are representative of the forces and/or moments being applied to the surface of the force measurement assembly by the subject, and to convert the one or more signals into output forces and/or moments;

wherein the data processing device is configured to generate the one or more scenes of the simulated and/or augmented environment that are displayed on the head-mounted visual display device, wherein the one or more scenes of the simulated and/or augmented environment that are displayed on the head-mounted visual display device comprise at least one target or marker and at least one displaceable visual indicator, and wherein the data processing device is configured to control the movement of the at least one displaceable visual indicator on the output screen of the head-mounted visual display device towards the at least one target or marker based upon one or more computed numerical values determined using the output forces and/or moments.

2. The force measurement system according to claim 1, wherein the force measurement assembly is in the form of a static force plate that remains stationary while the subject is disposed thereon.

3. The force measurement system according to claim 1, wherein the data processing device is further configured to manipulate the one or more scenes on the output screen of the head-mounted visual display device so as to perturb a visual input of the subject during the performance of a balance test or training routine where one or more sensory inputs of the subject are modified.

4. The force measurement system according to claim 3, wherein the data processing device is further configured to utilize the output forces and/or moments in order to assess a response of the subject to the one or more manipulated scenes on the output screen of the head-mounted visual display device.

15. The force measurement system according to claim 1, wherein the head-mounted visual display device has a display latency of between 10 milliseconds and 60 milliseconds.

16. The force measurement system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one actuator operatively coupled to the force measurement assembly, the at least one actuator configured to rotate the force measurement assembly about a transverse rotational axis disposed above the surface of the force measurement assembly, and the data processing device further configured to selectively displace the force measurement assembly using the at least one actuator.

5. A force measurement system, comprising:

a force measurement assembly configured to receive a subject, the force measurement assembly including;

a top surface for receiving at least one portion of the body of the subject; and

at least one force transducer, the at least one force transducer configured to sense one or more measured quantities and output one or more measurement signals that are representative of forces and/or moments being applied to the top surface of the force measurement assembly by the subject;

at least one actuator operatively coupled to the force measurement assembly, the at least one actuator configured to rotate the force measurement assembly about a transverse rotational axis disposed above the top surface of the force measurement assembly;

a head-mounted visual display device having an output screen, the head-mounted visual display device configured to display one or more scenes on the output screen so that the scenes are viewable by the subject, wherein the one or more scenes are configured to create a simulated and/or augmented environment for the subject, wherein the head-mounted visual display device has a horizontal field of view of at least 110 degrees and a vertical field of view of at least 90 degrees, and wherein the head-mounted visual display device has a refresh rate of at least 59 Hertz; and

one or more data processing devices operatively coupled to the force measurement assembly, the at least one actuator, and the head-mounted visual display device, the one or more data processing devices configured to receive the one or more measurement signals that are representative of the forces and/or moments being applied to the top surface of the force measurement assembly by the subject, and to convert the one or more measurement signals into output forces and/or moments, the one or more data processing devices further configured to selectively displace the force measurement assembly using the at least one actuator;

wherein the one or more scenes of the simulated and/or augmented environment that are displayed on the head-mounted visual display device comprise at least one target or marker and at least one displaceable visual indicator, and wherein the one or more data processing devices are configured to control the movement of the at least one displaceable visual indicator towards the at least one target or marker based upon one or more computed numerical values determined using the output forces and/or moments.

6. The force measurement system according to claim 5, further comprising a base assembly having a stationary portion and a displaceable portion, the force measurement assembly forming a part of the displaceable portion of the base assembly, and the at least one actuator configured to rotate the force measurement assembly relative to the stationary portion of the base assembly about the transverse rotational axis.

7. The force measurement system according to claim 6, wherein the at least one actuator comprises a first actuator configured to rotate the force measurement assembly about the transverse rotational axis and a second actuator configured to translate the displaceable portion of the base assembly that includes the force measurement assembly.

8. The force measurement system according to claim 5, wherein the head-mounted visual display device comprises one of a virtual reality headset or an augmented reality headset, and wherein the output screen of the head-mounted visual display device is configured to partially circumscribe the head of the subject such that the subject becomes immersed in the simulated environment.

9. The force measurement system according to claim 5, wherein the one or more data processing devices are further configured to displace the force measurement assembly so as to perturb a proprioceptive input of the subject during the performance of a balance test or training routine where one or more sensory inputs of the subject are modified.

10. The force measurement system according to claim 9, wherein the one or more data processing devices are further configured to utilize the output forces and/or moments in order to assess a response of the subject to the displacement of the force measurement assembly.

11. The force measurement system according to claim 5, wherein the one or more data processing devices are further configured to manipulate the one or more scenes on the output screen of the visual display device so as to perturb a visual input of the subject during the performance of a balance test or training routine where one or more sensory inputs of the subject are modified.

12. The force measurement system according to claim 11, further comprising an eye movement tracking device configured to track eye movement and/or eye position of the subject while the subject performs the balance test or training routine, the eye movement tracking device being configured to output one or more eye tracking signals to the one or more data processing devices;

and

wherein the one or more data processing devices are further configured to utilize the eye tracking signals in order to assess a response of the subject to the perturbed visual input.

17. The force measurement system according to claim 5, wherein the head-mounted visual display device has a display latency of between 10 milliseconds and 60 milliseconds.

13. A force measurement system, comprising:

a force measurement assembly configured to receive a subject, the force measurement assembly including;

a surface for receiving at least one portion of the body of the subject; and

at least one force transducer, the at least one force transducer configured to sense one or more measured quantities and output one or more signals that are representative of forces and/or moments being applied to the surface of the force measurement assembly by the subject;

at least one actuator operatively coupled to the force measurement assembly, the at least one actuator configured to rotate the force measurement assembly about a transverse rotational axis disposed above the surface of the force measurement assembly;

a head-mounted visual display device having an output screen, the head-mounted visual display device configured to display one or more scenes on the output screen so that the scenes are viewable by the subject, the one or more scenes being configured to create a simulated and/or augmented environment for the subject, and the output screen of the head-mounted visual display device being configured to partially circumscribe the head of the subject such that the subject becomes immersed in the simulated and/or augmented environment, wherein the head-mounted visual display device has a horizontal field of view of at least 110 degrees and a vertical field of view of at least 90 degrees, and wherein the head-mounted visual display device has a refresh rate of at least 59 Hertz; and

a data processing device operatively coupled to the force measurement assembly, the at least one actuator, and the head-mounted visual display device, the data processing device configured to receive the one or more signals that are representative of the forces and/or moments being applied to the surface of the force measurement assembly by the subject, and to convert the one or more signals into output forces and/or moments, the data processing device further configured to selectively displace the force measurement assembly using the at least one actuator;

wherein the data processing device is configured to generate the one or more scenes of the simulated and/or augmented environment that are displayed on the head-mounted visual display device, wherein the one or more scenes of the simulated and/or augmented environment that are displayed on the head-mounted visual display device comprise at least one target or marker and at least one displaceable visual indicator, and wherein the data processing device is configured to control the movement of the at least one displaceable visual indicator towards the at least one target or marker based upon one or more computed numerical values determined using the output forces and/or moments.

14. The force measurement system according to claim 13, further comprising an additional visual display device operatively coupled to the data processing device;

and

wherein the data processing device is further configured to generate one or more clinician screens that are displayed on the additional visual display device visible to a clinician.

18. The force measurement system according to claim 13, wherein the head-mounted visual display device has a display latency of between 10 milliseconds and 60 milliseconds.