A Wearable Reaction Wheel based Kinesthetic Biofeedback Device for Delivery of Balance Cues

Abstract

In order to explore mobile applications of kinesthetic cues, we recently developed a system for generating kinesthetic cues on the user's back. Carrying on from that work, in this paper we present a completely redesigned system that utilizes a pair of reaction wheels to generate torques on the system which in-turn are perceived by the user as directed force cues being delivered to their back. It is a wearable device that wirelessly takes commands from a PC and can generate leftward and rightward directed cues. The system was tested with healthy adults with two distinct objectives. The first was to determine how well they can perceive the cues and also to determine the effect of training on cue perception. The second was to determine the effect on standing balance of directed force cues delivered as biofeedback by the system. The results show that the device can effectively deliver directed kinesthetic cues to the user without becoming a source of discomfort, and biofeedback delivered through this system aids in maintaining balance. Thus, it is indicated that the device presented here is a viable means of delivering directed kinesthetic cues to a user and thus warrants further exploration of its possible applications.