Coordination testing apparatus

• US 5,525,061 A
• Filed: 08/09/1994
• Issued: 06/11/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lord, William P.
• Original Assignee: Lord, William P.
• Inventors: Lord, William P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hilten, John S.
• Application Number:
  US08/287,777
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 434/258, 434/260, 434/326, 434/354, 434/363, 128/774, 364/413.02
• US Class Current: 434/258
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/16 Devices for psychotechnics using teaching or educational appliances G09B1/00 - G09B7/00; Testing reaction times ; Devices for evaluating the psychological state
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 11/00 Teaching hand-writing, shorthand, drawing, or painting

Abstract

A method and apparatus for testing and evaluation of physical coordination and dexterity in occupational rehabilitation or physical therapy for injury or illness, and for training of retarded or developmentally delayed or handicapped persons. The person being tested attempts to traverse a test pattern with a targeting image or to plot coordinates and connect line segments from instructions, using left and right hands or feet to control motion or plot coordinates in at least two dimensions. Controls can be oriented and configured to test and train motor skills, motions and coordination requirements common to workplace, home or recreational activities. A permanent trace record of the subject'"'"'s effort, made in the same orientation and scale as the test pattern, provides a means by which test results can be compared directly to the test standard, to previous and later recorded traces by the same subject, and to the traces of other subjects.

Claims

1. An apparatus for testing coordination comprising:

means of presenting to a person a test pattern of at least two dimensions,

means of presenting a targeting image superimposed over said test pattern,

means of causing adjustment to relative position of said targeting image and said test pattern in said at least two dimensions, and

means of making a permanent trace of said adjustments to said relative position of said targeting image and said test pattern,

said permanent trace of said adjustments being in the same orientation and scale as said test pattern,

said means of said causing said adjustments to said relative position comprising;

left hand controls comprising a left side rotatable shaft positionally adjustable through an arc of about ninety degrees from a horizontal to a vertical orientation and a left front rotatable shaft, rotation of any said left hand control causing adjustment in said relative position of said targeting image and said test pattern in a first dimension; and

right hand controls comprising a right side rotatable shaft positionally adjustable through an arc of about ninety degrees from a horizontal to a vertical orientation and a right front rotatable shaft, rotation of any said right hand control causing adjustment in said relative position of said targeting image and said test pattern in a second dimension,

said rotatable shafts configurable with interchangeable grip styles from the group consisting of knob handle, T-handle, pin handle, crank handle and rim handle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for adjusting resistance of said rotatable shafts to applied forces.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for adjusting turn ratios between said rotatable shafts and resultant amount of said adjustment of said relative position of said targeting image and said test pattern.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

means for plotting a multiplicity of coordinates in at least two dimensions and creating line segments between selected said coordinates;

means for making a permanent trace of said plotting and said creating.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, said means for said plotting said coordinates comprising:

said left hand controls configured to cause said adjustments to said relative position of a transverse index scale and transverse index scale pointer in a transverse dimension; and

said right hand controls configured to cause said adjustments to said relative position of and said relative position of a vertical index scale and vertical index scale pointer in a vertical dimension.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, said means of presenting comprising a drum of uniform circumference oriented and rotatable on a horizontal axis perpendicular to subject'"'"'s line of sight, said drum configured to detachably accept said test pattern in uniform registration thereon;

said test pattern formed by a multiplicity of transverse and vertical line components connected to form at least one continuous line segment;

said means of making a permanent trace of said adjustments further comprising;

said drum further configured to detachably accept a trace record in said uniform registration adjacent to said test pattern, a marker supported by a stylus sector arm of a stylus sector, said marker being in marking contact with said trace record, said stylus sector slidably affixed to a transverse beam behind and parallel to said drum, said stylus sector arm being manually rotatable up and away from said trace record;

said targeting image comprising cross hairs supported by a targeting sector arm of a targeting sector, said targeting image being said superimposed over installed said test pattern in line of sight of said subject, said targeting sector slidably affixed to said transverse beam behind and parallel to said drum, said targeting sector arm being manually rotatable up and away from said drum;

said left side and left front rotatable shafts coupled by a left side gear box, said left side gear box having an output shaft connected to a bi-directional transversing assembly, said transversing assembly comprising a transversing yoke slidably affixed to said transverse beam, said yoke confining said targeting sector and said stylus sector in a fixed transverse relationship such that said targeting image and said marker maintain a constant special relationship during transverse motion;

said right side and right front rotatable shafts coupled by a right side gear box, said right side gear box having an output shaft connected to a bi-directional drum drive mechanism and hence to said drum.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, said apparatus further comprising:

means for plotting a multiplicity of coordinates in at least two dimensions and creating line segments between selected said coordinates;

means for making a permanent trace of said plotting and said creating;

said means for said plotting said coordinates comprising said left hand controls configured to cause adjustments to said relative position of a transverse index scale and transverse index scale pointer in a transverse dimension, and said right hand controls configured to cause adjustment to said relative position of a vertical index scale and vertical index scale pointer in a vertical dimension;

said transverse index scale being attached in a stationary position at right front of and parallel to said drum, said transverse index scale pointer attached to said targeting arm sector and extending downwards towards said transverse index scale whereby range of transversing motion of said transverse said pointer is approximately equal to span of said transverse index scale;

said vertical index scale pointer attached in a stationary position to said apparatus at right side of said drum and protruding out into close proximity to said vertical index scale on said drum such that rotation of said drum changes said relative position of said vertical said pointer and said vertical index scale;

said left hand controls configured to cause adjustments to said relative position of said transverse index scale and said transverse index scale pointer and said right hand controls configured to cause adjustments to said relative position of said vertical index scale to said vertical scale index pointer.