Balance and/or gait perturbation system and a method for testing and/or training a subject using the same

A balance and/or gait perturbation system, comprising:

• a balance and/or gait perturbation device configured to receive a person thereon, the balance and/or gait perturbation device including:
• one or more displaceable components configured to be displaced to a plurality of different positions, the one or more displaceable components having one or more surfaces for receiving one or more respective limbs of the person;
• and
• one or more first actuators coupled to the one or more displaceable components, the one or more first actuators configured to adjust the displacement position of the one or more displaceable components, the one or more first actuators being primary means for displacing the one or more displaceable components;
• at least one visual display device having an output screen, the at least one visual display device configured to display one or more scenes on the output screen so that the scenes are viewable by the person;
• and
• a data processing device operatively coupled to the one or more first actuators and the at least one visual display device, the data processing device configured to generate a stochastic signal for controlling a display parameter of the one or more scenes on the output screen of the at least one visual display device, and the data processing device additionally configured to display the one or more scenes on the output screen of the at least one visual display device using the stochastic signal such that the one or more scenes perturb a balance and/or gait of the person;
• wherein the display parameter of the one or more scenes on the output screen of the at least one visual display device is selected from the group consisting of a focal distance parameter, a smoothness parameter, a focal size parameter, a blur spread parameter, a velocity scale blur parameter, a minimum velocity blur parameter, a maximum velocity blur parameter, a velocity downsample parameter, a jitter strength parameter, a grain intensity multiplier parameter, a color noise parameter, a low light noise parameter, a high light noise parameter, a mid-grey level parameter, a color weight parameter, a noise softness parameter, a texture offset parameter, a texture tiling parameter, an image rotational displacement, an image rotational velocity, an image translational displacement, and an image translational velocity.

A method for testing and/or training a person using a balance and/or gait perturbation system, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a balance and/or gait perturbation device configured to receive a person thereon, the balance and/or gait perturbation device including:
• a surface for receiving at least one portion of the body of the person;
• and
• at least one force transducer, the at least one force transducer configured to sense one or more measured quantities and output one or more measurement signals that are representative of forces and/or moments being applied to the surface of the balance and/or gait perturbation device;
• providing at least one visual display device having an output screen, the at least one visual display device configured to display one or more scenes on the output screen so that the scenes are viewable by the person;
• and
• providing one or more data processing devices operatively coupled to the balance and/or gait perturbation device and the at least one visual display device, the one or more data processing devices configured to receive the one or more measurement signals that are representative of the forces and/or moments being applied to the surface of the balance and/or gait perturbation device by the person, and to convert the one or more measurement signals into output forces and/or moments, the one or more data processing devices further configured to generate a stochastic signal for controlling a display parameter of the one or more scenes on the output screen of the at least one visual display device, and the one or more data processing devices additionally configured to display the one or more scenes on the output screen of the at least one visual display device using the stochastic signal such that the one or more scenes perturb a balance and/or gait of the person;
• providing at least one input device operatively coupled to the one or more data processing devices, the at least one input device configured to enable a user to input a perturbation level corresponding to at least of:
• (i) an amplitude of the stochastic signal, and (ii) a frequency of the stochastic signal;
• positioning the person on the surface of the balance and/or gait perturbation device;
• sensing, by utilizing the at least one force transducer, one or more measured quantities that are representative of forces and/or moments being applied to the surface of the balance and/or gait perturbation device by the person and outputting one or more measurement signals representative thereof;
• converting, by using the one or more data processing devices, the one or more measurement signals that are representative of the forces and/or moments being applied to the surface of the balance and/or gait perturbation device by the person into output forces and/or moments;
• generating, by using the one or more data processing devices, a stochastic signal for controlling a display parameter of the one or more scenes on the output screen of the at least one visual display device,
• generating, by using the one or more data processing devices, the stochastic signal based upon at least one of:
• (i) the amplitude of the stochastic signal, and (ii) the frequency of the stochastic signal;
• and
• displaying, by using the one or more data processing devices, the one or more scenes on the output screen of the at least one visual display device using the stochastic signal such that the one or more scenes perturb a balance and/or gait of the person.