Distribution of mass and center of pressure in dynamic balance presented by an instrumented wobble board

Abstract

Introduction The wobble board (WB) is an unstable platform that allows proprioceptive balance training. However, because it is a passive device, it does not provide quantitative data about the training, making it difficult for the therapist to track their patients' performance. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a supervisory system and the data acquisition based on hardware (WB) and software (control app) elements that allow the dynamic balance evaluation. Methods An electronic system was placed on a WB. Its tilt was measured using an accelerometer. A supervisory system, capable of calculating the mass distribution (MD) and the center of pressure (CoP), was developed. Firstly, in order to validate the system, a functional test was performed; then, thirty volunteers were submitted to the test protocol approved by the research ethic committee of the University of Mogi das Cruzes. Results The results of the functional tests showed that the supervisory system was able to correctly calculate the MD and the CoP. In the test with volunteers, no significant difference was observed between the tests with and without visual feedback of the balance oscillation. Conclusion The developed system is portable and capable of storing data for future analysis. The combination of the tilt's, MD's, and CoP's values generated a detailed analysis of the exercises performed, allowing the therapist to track the performance of the patients and adapt the exercise to their needs, making the treatment using the WB more effective.