Electronic Platform for Automatic Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) Test

Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries among adults age 65 and older. The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) test is effective in evaluating the risk of falls in older people. This test requires evaluations of three tasks: walking a 4-meter distance, repeated sitting-on/standing-up-from a chair, and static balance challenges, such as standing with a heel-and-toe alignment. Traditionally, the SPPB is performed manually, which is time-consuming and inefficient when a large number of elder people need to be assessed in a limited time. In order to increase SPPB test efficiency, we developed an automatic system using advanced electronic technology. Our system consists of Micro Controller Units (MCUs), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, infrared distance meters, miniature MEMS sensors, and Bluetooth and Wi-Fi wireless communication links. Our experiments have shown that this system is accurate in rapid SPPB test, providing an effective tool for conducting this important test in community settings.