SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR VIBROTACTILE GUIDED MOTIONAL TRAINING

• US 20090062092A1
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Engineering Acoustics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bruce J.P. Mortimer, Gary A. Zets, Karen L. Atkins
• Inventors: Atkins, Karen L., Zets, Gary A., Mortimer, Bruce J. P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,092,355 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/142
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0655 Tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0663 worn on the wrist, e.g. wrist bands
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/10 with adhesive type surfaces, i.e. hook and loop-type fastener
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/18 Inclination, slope or curvature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/51 Force
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/803 Motion sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/00 Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of preceding groups; Controlling or monitoring of exercises, sportive games, training or athletic performances
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 26/003 for improving balance or equilibrium balance beams A63B4/00; apparatus for rope dancing A63B7/08; balancing drums, balancing boards or the like A63B22/16

Abstract

Motional training is achieved by providing a subject with vibrotactile feedback in response to an attempt by the subject to perform predetermined motions. In particular, an attempt by the subject to perform at least one predetermined motion is monitored using sensors, such as force plates or inertial sensors. The sensor signals indicate results of the attempt by the subject to perform the at least one predetermined motion, and a variance between the at least one predetermined motion and the results of the attempt by the subject to perform the at least one predetermined motion is determined. Vibrotactile signals are then sent to the subject by activating one or more actuators coupled to the subject, where the one or more actuators are spatially oriented with respect to the subject to indicate one or more directions. The vibrotactile signals indicate the variance with respect to the one or more directions.

Claims

1. A method for providing motional training to a subject, comprising:

determining at least one predetermined motion for a subject to perform;

monitoring an attempt by the subject to perform the at least one predetermined motion, the act of monitoring including receiving force-plate-sensor signals from one or more force plates, the subject being positioned on the one or more force plates while the subject attempts to perform the at least one predetermined motion, the force-plate-sensor signals indicating results of the attempt by the subject to perform the at least one predetermined motion;

determining a variance between the at least one predetermined motion and the results of the attempt by the subject to perform the at least one predetermined motion;

providing vibrotactile signals to the subject by activating one or more actuators coupled to the subject, the one or more actuators being spatially oriented with respect to the subject to indicate one or more directions, the vibrotactile signals indicating the variance with respect to the one or more directions; and

training the subject according to the vibrotactile signals to minimize the variance while the subject performs the at least one predetermined motion.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of determining at least one predetermined motion comprises determining one or more thresholds for the at least one predetermined motion, and the act of providing vibrotactile signals comprises activating at least one of the actuators when the variance exceeds one of the thresholds.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising adjusting the one or more thresholds according to the results of the attempt by the subject to perform the at least one predetermined motion.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the act of determining one or more thresholds comprises associating each threshold with one of the actuators, and the act of providing vibrotactile signals comprises activating one of the actuators when the variance exceeds the associated threshold.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein each actuator corresponds with one of the directions, and the associated threshold corresponds to movement by the subject in the corresponding direction.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of determining at least one predetermined threshold comprises determining one or more thresholds, each threshold being associated with one of the actuators, and the act of providing vibrotactile signals comprises activating one of the actuators until the variance exceeds the associated threshold.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein each actuator corresponds with one of the directions, and the associated threshold corresponds to movement by the subject in the corresponding direction.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising adjusting the one or more thresholds according to the results of the attempt by the subject to perform the at least one predetermined motion.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the force-plate-sensor signals indicate the location of a center of pressure of the subject, and the variance is determined at least in part according to the location of the center of pressure.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of monitoring includes receiving inertial-sensor signals from one or more inertial sensors, the one or more inertial sensors being coupled to the subject while the subject attempts to perform the at least one predetermined motion, the inertial-sensor signals further indicating the results of the attempt by the subject to perform the at least one predetermined motion.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein one or more inertial sensors are coupled to a lower back portion of the subject, the inertial-sensor signals indicate a center of gravity of the subject, and the variance is determined at least in part according to the center of gravity.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the one or more inertial sensors are coupled to an upper body part of the subject, the inertial-sensor signals indicate the orientation and motion of the upper body part, and variance is determined at least in part according to the orientation and motion of the upper body part.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more actuators includes a plurality of actuators arranged on a belt that is wearable by the subject.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the one or more actuators includes eight equally spaced actuators, each actuator corresponding with one of the directions relative to the subject.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one predetermined motion includes a sequence of functional transitional movement tasks.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one predetermined motion includes one of a plurality of sub-tasks associated with a functional movement task, and the acts of monitoring, determining a variance, providing vibrotactile signals, and training are repeated for each sub-task to provide motional training corresponding to the functional movement task.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one predetermined motion includes at least one of sitting, standing, reaching, bending, walking, and turning.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the force-plate-sensor signals provide a balance measurement while the subject attempts to perform the at least one predetermined motion.

19. A system for providing motional training to a subject, comprising:

one or more force plates that support a subject and provides force-plate-sensor signals while the subject performs at least one predetermined motion, the force-plate-sensor signals indicating the results of the attempt by the subject to perform the at least one predetermined motion; and

one or more actuators that are configured to be coupled to the subject and that provide vibrotactile feedback to the subject indicating a variance, with respect to one or more directions, between the at least one predetermined motion and the results of the attempt by the subject to perform the at least one predetermined motion, the one or more actuators being spatially oriented with respect to the subject to indicate the one or more directions.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the one or more actuators provide the vibrotactile feedback according to the variance relative to at least one threshold.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein each actuator is associated with one threshold.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein each actuator corresponds with one of the directions, and the associated threshold corresponds to movement by the subject in the corresponding direction.

23. The system according to claim 19, wherein the force-plate-sensor signals indicate the location of a center of pressure of the subject, and the variance is determined at least in part according to the location of the center of pressure.

24. The system according to claim 19, further comprising one or more inertial sensors that are configured to be coupled to the subject and provide inertial-sensor signals while the subject performs the at least one predetermined motion, the inertial-sensor signals further indicating the results of the attempt by the subject to perform the at least one predetermined motion

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein the one or more inertial sensors are configured to be coupled to a lower small portion of the subject, the inertial-sensor signals indicate the center of gravity, and the variance is determined at least in part according to the center of gravity.

26. The system according to claim 24, wherein the one or more inertial sensors are configured to be coupled to an upper body part of the subject, the inertial-sensor signals indicate the orientation and motion of the upper body part, and the variance is determined at least in part according to the orientation and motion of the upper body part.

27. The system according to claim 19, wherein the one or more actuators include a plurality of actuators arranged on a belt that is wearable by the subject.

28. The system according to claim 27, wherein the one or more actuators include eight equally spaced actuators, each actuator corresponding with one of the directions relative to the subject.

29. The system according to claim 19, wherein the at least one predetermined motion includes a sequence of functional transitional movement tasks.

30. The system according to claim 19, wherein the at least one predetermined motion includes one of a plurality of sub-tasks associated with a functional movement task.

31. The system according to claim 19, wherein the at least one predetermined motion includes at least one of sitting, standing, reaching, bending, walking, turning, and performing an exercise.

32. The system according to claim 19, wherein the force-plate-sensor signals provides a balance measurement while the subject attempts to perform the at least one predetermined motion.

33. The system according to claim 19, further comprising a controller configured to receive the force-plate-sensor signals and to activate the one or more actuators in response to the variance between the at least one predetermined motion and the results of the attempt by the subject to perform the at least one predetermined motion.

34. The system according to claim 33, further comprising a display coupled to the controller, the display providing a graphical representation of the at least one predetermined motion and the results of the attempt by the subject to perform the at least one predetermined motion.