doiSerbia

Asymmetry measurement for vibroactive correction in lower limbs mobility

Fiorentino Michele (Dipartimento di Meccanica, Matematica e Management, Politecnico di Bari, Bari, Italy)
Uva Antonio E. (Dipartimento di Meccanica, Matematica e Management, Politecnico di Bari, Bari, Italy)
Foglia Mario M. (Dipartimento di Meccanica, Matematica e Management, Politecnico di Bari, Bari, Italy)
Bevilacqua Vitoantonio (Dipartimento di Ingegneria Elettrica e dell’Informazione, Politecnico di Bari, Bari, Italy)

We developed a wearable device to improve lower limb sport training. The presented system consists of a pair of spandex shorts which embed a processor unit, 2 accelerometers and 2 vibro motors. The accelerometers are located in proximity to the knees and measure tri-axial accelerations. We present a novel method to compute and correct asymmetry of lower limbs during training. The user performs an initial calibration phase which sets the accelerometer reference frames. While running, the system continuously refines the calibration using principal component analysis to take in account occasional shorts assessments. The system activates a corrective vibro feedback on the specific leg according to an asymmetry metric based on: (i) foot ground impact, (ii) phase error between legs, (iii) transversal knee movements. User tests demonstrated that the device is ergonomic to wear, easy to use and the corrective vibro feedback is appreciated during the training.

Keywords: wearable training device, vibro feedback, asymmetry correction, sport training, lower limb rehabilitation