Design and development of balance training platform and games for people with balance impairments

Medicine in India has an emerging need for balance rehabilitation due to its growing population of elderly, diabetics and stroke patients. In this paper, we describe the design of a cost effective system that provides static and dynamic balance training through interactive virtual reality games. The intention is to positively influence the activities of daily living (ADL) of patients suffering from balance disorders. The test-retest reliability of the balance platform is evaluated using intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and standard error of the measurement (SEM). Thirty healthy individuals performed quiet standing with eyes opened/eyes closed and activities of daily living for twenty seconds. The center of pressure (COP) path length, mean velocity and range of displacement are computed to demonstrate device consistency across different trials. We also discuss the results of a pilot study on the utility of the device among clinical practitioners of physical medicine and rehabilitation.