Session: MSNDC-10-01: Nonlinear and Computational Dynamics Aspects in Biomechanics

Paper Number: 118158

118158 - A Nonlinear Dynamics Perspective on the Benefits of Predicting Postural Sway for Upright Human Balance 

Falls are a significant health concern among adults aged 65 and above, with over three million older people in the US treated in emergency departments each year for fall-related injuries. While there are several interventions and technologies aimed at improving human balance, including monitoring, assessment, rehabilitation, training exercises, physical support, and providing feedback, there is a lack of technology that can help predict future unbalance and provide proactive feedback and correction. This study proposes a new approach to proactive interventions using visual feedback of future balance. This study investigates the most common model of upright human stance, the inverted pendulum model, to demonstrate the benefits of using visual feedback of predicted future balance. We performed a parametric study to investigate the potential positive and negative effects of using visual feedback of future balance. The results show that visual feedback of future balance can significantly reduce sway amplitude and velocity. It was found that the amount of trust an individual has in the technology significantly impacts the effectiveness of the visual feedback. The findings of this study have important implications for developing new technologies that can support proactive real-time, in-situ balance improvement. The use of visual feedback of predicted future balance could provide a new territory of technologies that can support proactive interventions and expand the choices of impaired individuals when selecting assistive devices.

Presenting Author: James Chagdes Miami University

Presenting Author Biography: Dr. James R. Chagdes joined Miami University in 2015 after completing a postdoctoral research appointment spanning from 2013 to 2015 jointly between the Department of Health and Kinesiology and the School of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. He received a Bachelor’s degree in 2007 and a Ph.D. in 2012, both in mechanical engineering, from Purdue University.

Authors:

James Chagdes Miami University
Jinjuan She Miami University
Jennifer Kinney Miami University