Citation

Young W, Ferguson S, Brault S, Craig C. Gait Posture 2011; 33(2): 303-305.

Affiliation

The School of Psychology, The Queen's University Belfast, 18-30 Malone Road, Belfast BT9 5BN, UK.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.gaitpost.2010.10.089

PMID

21087865

Abstract

Older adults, deemed to be at a high risk of falling, are often unable to participate in dynamic exercises due to physical constraints and/or a fear of falling. Using the Nintendo 'Wii Balance Board' (WBB) (Nintendo, Kyoto, Japan), we have developed an interface that allows a user to accurately calculate a participant's centre of pressure (COP) and incorporate it into a virtual environment to create bespoke diagnostic or training programmes that exploit real-time visual feedback of current COP position. This platform allows researchers to design, control and validate tasks that both train and test balance function. This technology provides a safe, adaptable and low-cost balance training/testing solution for older adults, particularly those at high-risk of falling.

Language: en