Motion analysis of operating a balance exercise assist robot system during forward and backward movements.
Daisuke Imoto, Norihide Itoh, Shuichi Kubo and 7 others
PMID 31320782WHAT IT FOUND
Operating the balance robot required smaller body shifts than moving the body as far as possible while standing, yet the robot moved 43.2 cm forward and 43.1 cm backward.
It was tested in 11 healthy men, not patients.
Key findings
01The robot moved 43.2 ± 6.3 cm forward and 43.1 ± 7.9 cm backward.
02The body's center of gravity and the pressure point under the feet moved less on the robot than during maximal standing sway.
03For forward movement, hip and knee motion were smaller and ankle motion was larger on the robot than on the force plate.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only 11 healthy men were tested, so it does not show how older adults or people with balance disorders use the robot. The study measured movement during two short tasks, not training effects or patient outcomes. Head, neck, trunk, handlebar load, and upper limb motion were not measured. The paper does not report task order or randomisation. The comparison was with maximal voluntary sway, which may not match clinical balance exercises.
Declared interests
No funding was reported. The authors received support from Toyota Motor Corporation through the loan of the balance exercise assist robot.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the robot improves balance in patients. The study measured movement while 11 healthy men operated the device and compared it with standing sway; it did not test patients or balance outcomes.