Balance perturbation system and trainer
AssigneeBen-Gurion University of the Negev Research and Development Authority
InventorsAmir Shapiro, Itshak Melzer, Allan C. Entis
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus for exercising a person's balance control, the apparatus comprising: a motion stage operable to displace an object mounted thereto; a treadmill mounted to the stage and comprising a belt having a runway surface on which a person using the treadmill stands, walks and/or runs; and a controller that controls the motion stage to provide a displacement of the treadmill and thereby the treadmill runway surface.
Claims25
Apparatus for exercising a person's balance control, the apparatus comprising:
- a motion stage operable to displace an object mounted thereto;
- a treadmill mounted to the stage and comprising a belt having a runway surface on which a person using the treadmill stands, walks and/or runs;
- and
- a controller that controls the motion stage to provide a displacement of the treadmill and thereby the treadmill runway surface.
Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims wherein the controller is programmable to control direction of the runway surface displacement.
Apparatus according any of the preceding claims wherein the controller is programmable to control acceleration of the runway surface that provides the runway surface displacement.
Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims wherein the controller is programmable to control deceleration of the runway surface that provides the runway surface displacement.
Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims and comprising at least one device controllable by the controller to generate a warning to the person that the treadmill runway surface is about to be displaced.
Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims and comprising a harness that secures a person on the treadmill to prevent injurious falls.
Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, and comprising apparatus configured to provide the person with a synthetic, virtual and/or augmented, reality.
Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims and comprising at least one sensor that generates signals useable to determine a measure of proficiency of the person' s balance control.
Apparatus for playing a game, the apparatus comprising:
- first and second apparatuses according to any of the preceding claims;
- a game controller operable by a person on the first apparatus that controls displacements of the treadmill runway of the second apparatus;
- and
- a game controller operable by a person on the second apparatus that controls displacements of the treadmill runway of the first apparatus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.