KR20220062199A - Assistance and Training System using Balance Feedback - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an assistance and training system through balance feedback and an operation method thereof, and more specifically, to an assistance and training system through balance feedback, which comprises: a plurality of wearable pressure sensors installed in plural on the sole side of the human body to measure foot pressure, respectively; a center of gravity calculator part calculating a balance based on a pressure value measured by the plurality of pressure sensors; an electrical stimulation part attached to a muscle side of the human body to generate torque by stimulating the muscle with an electrical signal to function as the muscle; a vibration module attached to the muscle side to apply vibration to the muscle; and a control part controlling to drive at least one of the electrical stimulation part and the vibration module to provide feedback on the balance, based on the calculated balance. According to the present invention, when a user's balance deviates from a balance center to some extent, a signal for instructing or forcing balance recovery in the opposite direction is generated so that the user's balance can be corrected.

Description

Assistance and training system through a sense of balance feedback, and its operation method {Assistance and Training System using Balance Feedback}

The present invention relates to an assisting and training system through a sense of balance feedback, and to a method of operation thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system capable of assisting and training an elderly person or a hemiplegic patient who has difficulty maintaining the balance in a standing state with various types of feedback.

In the case of chronic stroke patients or the elderly, it is possible to maintain daily life, but they may have difficulty performing movements that require precise balance. For example, maintaining a solid balance of the lower body is essential in a posture such as golf putting, but you may experience difficulties in this area due to weakness in muscle strength.

In real life, it is easy to measure the sense of balance and it is very difficult to give feedback. The center of pressure (CoP) in a person's standing state is used as an indicator of the state of balance, but in general, it can be measured only with equipment such as an expensive force plate. Also, these devices are not portable and have disadvantages that are difficult for non-professionals to use.

Maintaining a stable balance on an incline other than flat ground is an important part not only in exercise but also in real life, so balance training in various terrains is necessary.

Most of the prior patents measure the sense of balance in the form of a force plate. Therefore, the usable space is limited to indoors where most of the devices are installed. Also, it does not describe a feedback method that transmits a sense of balance through an external stimulus, and does not mention the configuration of determining the expression of the external stimulus intensity by quantitatively calculating the degree of deviation from the center of balance.

Looking at the related prior patent literature, the prior Korean Patent No. 1858116 calculates the pressure center based on foot pressure, and evaluates balance ability and posture change based on the time, peak, and valley staying in a circle of a predetermined size from the center of pressure. Although the configuration for measuring the sense of balance is described, the configuration that provides feedback information on the sense of balance and supports muscle strength through FES stimulation is not described.

Korean Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-0008135 describes the feature of providing a physical stimulus to a subject according to the sensing result by configuring the load sensor unit in the form of a shoe as a sensing unit, but using an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor to detect motion. and the stimulation unit simply applies vibration to the feedback unit in the form of a shoe. And Korean Patent No. 2113221 measures the sense of balance and guides training through a weight sensor, but guides the operation through the display unit in guiding training based on the evaluated balance ability, and provides feedback and It does not mention the composition for assisting the exercise.

Korean Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-0081684 also describes a configuration that evaluates the user's balance from the FSR sensor attached to the shoe, but when the difference between the left and right balance in the feedback of balance information is more than the standard value, a warning is generated or posture for correction It merely displays information and exercise information, and there is no mention of a configuration for supporting feedback and exercise through vibration and electrical stimulation.

Republic of Korea registered patent KR 1858116 B Korean Patent Publication KR 2018-008135 A Republic of Korea registered patent KR 2113221 B Korean Patent Publication KR 2020-0081684 A

Therefore, the present invention has been devised to solve the conventional problems as described above. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the user's sense of balance is measured in real time based on the pressure sensor, and the left and right directions (Medial-Lateral direction, ML) and front and rear It is possible to grasp the sense of balance in the anterior-posterior direction (AP) two-dimensionally, and when the user's balance deviates from the center of balance to some extent, it generates a signal to instruct or force the restoration of balance in the opposite direction to restore the balance immediately. It aims to provide an assistive and training system with a gripping, balanced feedback.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method of inducing a sense of balance recovery through simple feedback with information on a sense of balance, such as a vibration module, and a method of inducing a sense of balance through direct muscle contraction through Functional Electrical Stimulation. In addition, FES can be used to simultaneously stimulate the agonist-antagonist muscles of the muscle to instantly increase joint stiffness to support balance and stability. The purpose of this study is to provide an assistance and training system through a sense of balance feedback.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a user can train for a sense of balance in various indoor/outdoor environments, and after wearing a sensor in the form of a shoe or socks that can measure a sense of balance, feedback a sense of balance in the form of electrical stimulation or vibration stimulation The purpose of this training is to provide an assistance and training system through a sense of balance feedback that can be expected to improve exercise ability in daily life or leisure life through such training.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, if necessary, the system can be used in the form of assistance rather than training, and when the movement of the center of balance appears, it induces movement of the center of balance in the opposite direction through electrical and vibration stimulation to stand stable The purpose of this is to provide an assisting and training system through a sense of balance feedback that can support the state and can support the standing state by greatly increasing the stiffness of the joint in the form of instantaneous simultaneous stimulation of the agonist and antagonist muscles.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, it has a minimum volume and is designed to be integrated with clothes, so that the user can carry and use it without discomfort in daily life, and daily life such as the elderly or chronic stroke patients is possible to some extent, but sophisticated An object of the present invention is to provide an assistance and training system through a sense of balance feedback that can be utilized for both those who need training and assistance in exercise, or those who aim to achieve more accurate movements by receiving feedback from balance in various environments.

On the other hand, the technical problems to be achieved in the present invention are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned are clearly to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs from the description below. can be understood

A first object of the present invention is to provide an auxiliary and training system, comprising: a plurality of wearable pressure sensors installed on the sole side of the human body to measure foot pressure, respectively; a center of gravity calculation unit for calculating a balance degree based on the pressure values measured by the plurality of pressure sensors; an electrical stimulation unit attached to the muscle side of the human body to stimulate the muscle with an electrical signal to generate a torque to function as a muscle; a vibration module attached to the muscle side to apply vibration to the muscle; and a control unit that controls to provide feedback on the balance by driving at least one of the electrical stimulation unit and the vibration module based on the calculated balance. This can be achieved as a training system.

And the vibration module and each of the electrical stimulation unit is attached in plurality, the center of gravity calculation unit, based on the pressure values measured by the plurality of pressure sensors in a setting mode, measure the absolute center point and store it in a database, and training It may be characterized in that the current center of pressure is calculated based on the pressure values measured by the plurality of pressure sensors in the auxiliary mode.

In addition, based on the position of the center of pressure point relative to the absolute center point, a stimulus determining unit for calculating a direction value and a stimulus intensity; may be characterized in that it further comprises.

And the stimulus determining unit determines a vibration module to be driven capable of feeding back a balance based on the direction value, and determines an electric stimulation unit to be driven capable of restoring the center of pressure to the absolute center point based on the direction value. It can be characterized as

In addition, the control unit may be characterized in that it drives the determined vibration module and controls the determined electrical stimulation unit to be driven with the calculated stimulation intensity.

And the stimulation strength may be characterized in that it is calculated in proportion to the distance between the absolute center point and the measured pressure center point.

In addition, a region is set based on the positions of a plurality of pressure sensors and the absolute center point, a plurality of specific areas centered on the absolute center point are divided in the area, and the stimulus value for each specific area is stored in the database, The stimulus determining unit may be characterized in that it determines the stimulus value stored in response to the specific region in which the center of pressure value is located as the stimulus intensity.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a method of operating an assisting and training system, comprising: wearing the assisting and training system through a sense of balance feedback on the lower extremity side according to the aforementioned first object; Measuring the foot pressure by each of a plurality of pressure sensors installed in a plurality on the sole side of the human body; calculating, by a center of gravity calculator, a balance degree based on the pressure values measured by the plurality of pressure sensors; and an electrical stimulation unit attached to the muscle side of the human body to generate a torque by stimulating the muscle with an electrical signal to function as a muscle based on the balance calculated by the control unit, and the muscle side attached to the muscle Controlling to provide feedback on the degree of balance by driving at least any one of the vibration modules for applying vibrations; it can be achieved by an operation method of an auxiliary and training system through a sense of balance feedback, comprising: a.

In addition, after the step of wearing, the center of gravity calculation unit includes the step of measuring the absolute center of gravity based on the pressure values measured by a plurality of pressure sensors in the setting mode and storing it in a database, and measuring the balance includes training It may be characterized in that the current center of pressure is calculated based on the pressure values measured by the plurality of pressure sensors in the auxiliary mode.

And after the step of measuring the degree of balance, the stimulus determining unit calculates the direction value and the stimulus intensity based on the position of the center of pressure relative to the absolute center point, and the vibration to be driven that can feed back the degree of balance based on the direction value Further comprising the step of determining a module, and determining an electrical stimulation unit to be driven capable of restoring the center of pressure to the absolute center of gravity based on the direction value, wherein in the controlling step, the control unit controls the determined vibration module It may be characterized in that it is driven and controlled so that the determined electrical stimulation unit is driven with the calculated stimulation intensity.

In addition, the stimulation strength may be characterized in that it is calculated in proportion to the distance between the absolute center point and the measured pressure center point.

And a region is set based on the positions of the plurality of pressure sensors and the absolute central point, a plurality of specific regions centered on the absolute central point are partitioned in the region, and the stimulus value for each specific region is stored in the database, The stimulus determining unit may be characterized in that it determines the stimulus value stored in response to the specific region in which the center of pressure value is located as the stimulus intensity.

According to the assistance and training system through a sense of balance feedback according to an embodiment of the present invention, the user's sense of balance is measured in real time based on the pressure sensor, and the left and right directions (Medial-Lateral direction, ML) and the front-to-back direction (Anterior-Posterior direction, AP) ) can be grasped two-dimensionally, and when the user's balance is somewhat deviating from the center of balance, it has the effect of correcting the balance by generating a signal instructing or forcing the restoration of the balance in the opposite direction.

According to the assistance and training system through a sense of balance feedback according to an embodiment of the present invention, a method of inducing a sense of balance recovery through simple feedback, such as a vibration module, and a method of inducing a sense of balance through functional electrical stimulation A sense of balance can be instantly aided through muscle contraction, and the agonist-antagonist muscle of the muscle is stimulated at the same time using FES to instantly increase joint stiffness to aid balance and stability. It has the advantage of being able to use it on both unpretentious terrain and on a small slope.

According to the assistance and training system through a sense of balance feedback according to an embodiment of the present invention, a user can train for a sense of balance in various indoor/outdoor environments, and after wearing a sensor in the form of a shoe or socks that can measure the sense of balance, electricity A sense of balance can be fed back in the form of stimulation or vibration stimulation, and through this training, exercise ability in daily life or leisure life can be expected to be improved.

According to the assistance and training system through a sense of balance feedback according to an embodiment of the present invention, if necessary, the system can be used in the form of assistance rather than training, and when the center of balance moves in the opposite direction through electrical and vibration stimulation Assisting and training through a sense of balance feedback, which can assist in a stable standing state by inducing a movement of the center of balance to the The purpose is to provide a system.

According to the assistance and training system through a sense of balance feedback according to an embodiment of the present invention, it has a minimum volume and is designed to be integrated with clothes, so that the user can carry and use it without inconvenience in daily life, and the elderly or chronic stroke It has the advantage that it can be used for both those who can perform daily life to some extent like patients, but who need training and assistance in sophisticated exercise, or those who aim to realize more accurate movements by receiving feedback on balance in various environments.

On the other hand, the effects obtainable in the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs from the following description. will be able

The following drawings attached to the present specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention, and serve to further understand the technical spirit of the present invention together with the detailed description of the present invention, so that the present invention is limited only to the matters described in those drawings and should not be interpreted.
1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an assistance and training system through a sense of balance feedback according to an embodiment of the present invention;
2 is a flowchart of a method of operating an assistance and training system through a sense of balance feedback according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 3a is a graph of the resistance relationship generated by the pressure applied to the FSR sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention;
3b is an FSR sensor circuit configuration;
3c is an FSR sensor calculation formula;
Figure 4a is a schematic diagram of a vibration stimulus in response to a change in the center of gravity according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 4b is a schematic diagram of FES stimulation for center of gravity restoration according to an embodiment of the present invention;
5 is an example of a region in which a plurality of specific regions are partitioned according to the absolute center point and the FSR sensor position in order to determine the stimulus strength according to an embodiment of the present invention;
6 is an example of a center distance-based determination method for determining the stimulus strength according to an embodiment of the present invention;
7 shows a formula for calculating the intensity of the stimulus based on the origin using the elliptic equation according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The above objects, other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be easily understood through the following preferred embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein and may be embodied in other forms. Rather, the embodiments introduced herein are provided so that the disclosed subject matter may be thorough and complete, and that the spirit of the present invention may be sufficiently conveyed to those skilled in the art.

In this specification, when a component is referred to as being on another component, it means that it may be directly formed on the other component or a third component may be interposed therebetween. In addition, in the drawings, the thickness of the components is exaggerated for effective description of the technical content.

Embodiments described herein will be described with reference to cross-sectional and/or plan views, which are ideal illustrative views of the present invention. In the drawings, thicknesses of films and regions are exaggerated for effective description of technical content. Accordingly, the shape of the illustrative drawing may be modified due to manufacturing technology and/or tolerance. Therefore, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the specific form shown, but also include changes in the form generated according to the manufacturing process. For example, the region shown at right angles may be rounded or have a predetermined curvature. Accordingly, the regions illustrated in the drawings have properties, and the shapes of the illustrated regions in the drawings are intended to illustrate specific shapes of regions of the device and not to limit the scope of the invention. In various embodiments of the present specification, terms such as first, second, etc. are used to describe various components, but these components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one component from another. The embodiments described and illustrated herein also include complementary embodiments thereof.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing the embodiments and is not intended to limit the present invention. In this specification, the singular also includes the plural unless specifically stated otherwise in the phrase. As used herein, the terms 'comprises' and/or 'comprising' do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other components.

In describing the specific embodiments below, various specific contents have been prepared to more specifically describe the invention and help understanding. However, a reader having enough knowledge in this field to understand the present invention may recognize that it can be used without these various specific details. In some cases, it is mentioned in advance that parts that are commonly known and not largely related to the invention are not described in order to avoid confusion without any reason in describing the present invention.

Hereinafter, the configuration, function, and operation method of the assistance and training system through a sense of balance feedback according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

First, Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the assistance and training system through a sense of balance feedback according to an embodiment of the present invention. And Figure 2 shows a flowchart of an operation method of the assistance and training system through a sense of balance feedback according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the assistance and training system 100 through a sense of balance feedback according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of pressure sensors 10 , a center of gravity calculation unit 20 , and a stimulus determination unit 30 . , a control unit 40 , a database 60 , a vibration module 51 , and a feedback providing unit 50 including an electrical stimulation unit 52 , and the like.

Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) is a technology that makes a desired movement by electrically stimulating and contracting a specific muscle. The electrical stimulation unit 52 according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to the muscles of the lower extremities to provide feedback and balance assistance for a sense of balance. At this time, if co-contraction is performed to stimulate both the agonist and antagonist for one joint, the stiffness of the joint can be increased.

In addition, the vibration stimulation using the vibration module 51 is used as a signal to feed back the current state of the sense of balance, and is used for instructing the user to restore the sense of balance. And the balance feedback and assistance system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured in a portable form and is fixed to the lower extremities to be utilized. Each of the controllers 40 of the left lower extremity 2 and the right lower extremity 2 may be worn one by one, and the two controllers 40 are configured to exchange signals using wireless communication.

The plurality of pressure sensors (!0) is a wearable type and is installed in plurality on the sole side of the human body to measure foot pressure, respectively. For example, in the embodiment of the present invention, the front and rear pressure sensors are applied to each of the left and right soles, so that a total of four pressure sensors may be applied. In addition, the pressure sensor 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention may be configured as an FSR sensor.

And the center of gravity calculation unit 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention is configured to calculate the balance based on the pressure values measured by the plurality of pressure sensors (10). That is, the current center of pressure is calculated based on the pressure values measured by the plurality of pressure sensors 10 .

3A is a graph showing a resistance relationship generated by a pressure applied to an FSR sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3B is an FSR sensor circuit configuration, and FIG. 3C is a FSR sensor calculation formula.

As shown in FIG. 3C , in the embodiment of the present invention, a person's current Center of Pressure (CoP) can be obtained using a total of four pressure sensors 10 mounted on both feet, and the The left and right sides may be expressed as x-coordinates, and the front and back sides may be expressed as y-coordinates. At this time, the center of pressure (CoP) deviates from the absolute center (0, 0) due to the difference in pressure measured by each of the pressure sensors 10, and the degree of deviation can be compared and used as a stimulus input.

4A is a schematic diagram of a vibration stimulus in response to a change in the center of gravity according to an embodiment of the present invention. And Figure 4b shows a schematic diagram of the FES stimulation for the restoration of the center of gravity according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The functional electrical stimulation unit 52 according to the embodiment of the present invention is attached to the muscle side of the human body and stimulates the muscle with an electrical signal to generate a torque to function as a muscle. These electrical stimulation units 52 are installed in plurality for each of the left and right lower extremities. In addition, the vibration module 51 is attached to the muscle side and is configured to apply vibration to the muscle. A plurality of vibration modules 51 may also be installed for each of the left and right lower extremities.

The control unit 40 drives at least one of the electrical stimulation unit 52 and the vibration module 51 based on the balance calculated by the center of gravity calculation unit 20 to control to provide feedback on the balance. do.

Specifically, the center of gravity calculation unit 20 measures the absolute center point based on the pressure values measured by the plurality of pressure sensors 10 in the setting mode and stores the measurement in the database 60 . And the current center of pressure is calculated based on the pressure values measured by the plurality of pressure sensors 10 in the training auxiliary mode.

And the stimulus determining unit 30 is configured to calculate the direction value and the stimulus intensity based on the position of the pressure center point compared to the absolute center point.

In addition, the stimulus determining unit 30 determines the vibration module 51 to be driven that can feed back the balance based on the direction value, and drives the pressure center point to the absolute center point side based on the direction value. The electrical stimulation unit 52 to be determined is determined.

And the control unit 40 drives the vibration module 51 determined by the stimulation determining unit 30 and controls the determined electrical stimulation unit 52 to be driven with the calculated stimulation intensity.

In the case of the vibration module 51, since it is used for guiding the direction in which the stimulation is required, for example, it is possible to induce balance recovery by giving stimulation in the opposite direction to which the center of pressure is biased.

In addition, in the case of the electrical stimulation unit 52, since a person's sense of balance changes as each muscle contracts, a direction must be determined to stimulate the appropriate muscle.

In the case of the ankle joint, for example, the tibialis anterior (TA) (3) and soleus (4) are involved. When the tibialis anterior (3) contracts, dorsiflexion of the ankle occurs and the body moves forward. When the soleus muscle (4) contracts and tilts, plantar flexion occurs and the body tilts backward.

In the case of the knee joint, the rectus femoris and biceps femoris are responsible for these functions, and the gluteus maximus can also be used as a stimulating factor for balance feedback. When assisting with a sense of balance through co-contraction, when the user wants, it stimulates all the muscles in charge of the joint to provide instantaneous stiffness support to provide stability.

In addition to the vibration module 51 and the electrical stimulation unit 52, equipment such as Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation that can additionally transmit information about a sense of balance to a person can be used together with a sense of balance measurement algorithm using a foot pressure sensor.

5 shows an example of a region in which a plurality of specific regions are partitioned according to the absolute center point and the FSR sensor position in order to determine the stimulus strength according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment of the present invention, a maximum area is set based on the positions of the plurality of pressure sensors 10 and an absolute center point, and a plurality of specific areas centered on the absolute center point are divided in this maximum area, and the specific area is included in the database. Each stimulus value may be stored. And the stimulus determining unit 30 determines the stimulus value stored in response to a specific region in which the center of pressure value is located as the stimulus intensity.

That is, as shown in FIG. 5 , it can be seen that a map for stimulation can be designed by compartmentalizing the degree of deviation from the x and y coordinates. At this time, a sense of balance feedback is provided according to the stimulus intensity assigned to the specific area where the center of pressure is located.

For example, in Fig. 5, the middle dark gray area is considered well-balanced and does not provide feedback, and the light gray area provides feedback to the sensors on the upper, right, lower, and left sides, respectively, clockwise from 12 o'clock. this is provided In the colorless region, feedback is provided in proportion to the degree of out-of-balance, and in particular, in the red region, enhanced feedback may be provided.

As another example, the stimulation intensity according to an embodiment of the present invention may be calculated in proportion to the distance between the absolute center point and the measured center point of pressure.

6 shows an example of a center distance-based determination method for determining a stimulus strength according to an embodiment of the present invention. And FIG. 7 shows a formula for calculating the magnetic pole intensity based on the origin using the elliptic equation according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the total amount of stimulation can be determined by calculating the degree of deviation from the absolute center point. Since the distance from the absolute center of gravity to the current center of pressure can be regarded as a degree of imbalance, using this value to determine the total strength of the stimulus can provide an intuitive sense of balance feedback to the user.

More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , an elliptic equation is applied to define a region connecting the positions of the four pressure sensors and a maximum ellipse inscribed in these regions. At this maximum ellipse, C ² = 1.

And define the minimum ellipse (C ² = C _min ² ) close to the absolute center point, which is similar to the maximum ellipse. And when the C ² value due to the pressure center point is 1 or more (ie, the red region in FIG. 6 ), the set maximum stimulation value is determined as the stimulation strength. In addition, when the C ² value is C _min ² or less (ie, the green area in FIG. 6 ), it is determined that the balance is well-matched, and thus the stimulus is not given. In addition, when the C ² value exceeds C _min ² and is less than 1 (ie, the white region in FIG. 6 ), the stimulus intensity is determined in proportion to the x distance and y distance values of the pressure center point and the absolute center point.

Hereinafter, an operation method of the assistance and training system through the sense of balance feedback will be described.

First, the assistance and training system 100 through the aforementioned balance feedback is worn on the lower extremity (2) side (S1). And first, the setting mode is executed. That is, the center of gravity calculation unit 20 measures the absolute center point based on the pressure values measured by the plurality of pressure sensors 10 and stores it in the database 60 ( S2 ).

Then, the training and auxiliary modes are performed (S3).

Each of the plurality of pressure sensors 10 installed on the sole side of the human body measures the foot pressure in real time (S4), and the center of gravity calculation unit 20 is based on the pressure values measured by the plurality of pressure sensors 10 to calculate the degree of balance (S5). That is, in the training assistance mode, the center of gravity calculation unit 20 calculates the current center of pressure based on the pressure values measured by the plurality of pressure sensors 10 .

And the stimulus determining unit 30 calculates the direction value and the stimulus intensity based on the position of the pressure center point relative to the absolute center point (S6).

In addition, based on the calculated direction value, the vibration module 51 to be driven that can feed back the balance is determined, and the electrical stimulation unit 52 to be driven that can restore the pressure center point to the absolute center point side based on the direction value is provided. will decide That is, based on the direction value, the electrical stimulation unit 52 attached to the muscle capable of restoring the center of pressure to the absolute center point is determined as the electrical stimulation unit 51 to be driven (S7).

Then, the control unit 40 drives the determined vibration module 51 and controls the determined electrical stimulation unit 52 to be driven with the calculated stimulation intensity (S8).

As mentioned above, the stimulus intensity may be calculated in proportion to the distance between the absolute center point and the measured center point of pressure.

Alternatively, a region is set based on the positions of the plurality of pressure sensors 10 and the absolute center point, and a plurality of specific regions centered on the absolute central point in this region are divided, and the stimulus value for each specific region is stored in the database 60. can be saved. In addition, the stimulus determining unit 30 may determine the stimulus value stored in response to a specific region in which the center of pressure value is located as the stimulus intensity.

This step continues until the training auxiliary mode is terminated (S9).

In addition, in the apparatus and method described above, the configuration and method of the above-described embodiments are not limitedly applicable, but all or part of each embodiment is selectively combined so that various modifications can be made to the embodiments. may be configured.

2: not
3: Anterior tibialis
4: soleus muscle
10: pressure sensor
20: center of gravity calculation unit
30: stimulus decision unit
40: control unit
50: Provide feedback
51: vibration module
52: electrical stimulation unit
60: database
100: Assisting and training system with balance feedback

Claims (12)

An assistive and training system comprising:
A plurality of wearable pressure sensors installed on the sole side of the human body to measure foot pressure, respectively;
a center of gravity calculation unit for calculating a balance degree based on the pressure values measured by the plurality of pressure sensors;
an electrical stimulation unit attached to the muscle side of the human body to stimulate the muscle with an electrical signal to generate a torque to function as a muscle;
a vibration module attached to the muscle side to apply vibration to the muscle; and
Based on the calculated degree of balance, a control unit that drives at least one of the electrical stimulation unit and the vibration module to provide feedback on the degree of balance; assisting and training through a sense of balance feedback comprising a; system.
The method of claim 1,
Each of the vibration module and the electrical stimulation part is attached in plurality,
The center of gravity calculation unit,
In the setting mode, the absolute center point is measured based on the pressure values measured by the plurality of pressure sensors and stored in the database, and in the training auxiliary mode, the current center point is calculated based on the pressure values measured by the plurality of pressure sensors. Assisting and training systems with balanced feedback featuring.
3. The method of claim 2,
The assistance and training system through a sense of balance feedback, characterized in that it further comprises a; based on the position of the central point of pressure relative to the absolute central point, a stimulus determining unit for calculating a direction value and a stimulus intensity.
4. The method of claim 3,
The stimulus determining unit,
Determining a vibration module to be driven that can feed back a balance degree based on the direction value,
An assistance and training system through a sense of balance feedback, characterized in that it determines the electrical stimulation unit to be driven that can restore the center of pressure to the absolute center of gravity based on the direction value.
5. The method of claim 4,
The control unit drives the determined vibration module and controls the determined electrical stimulation unit to be driven with the calculated stimulation intensity.
6. The method of claim 5,
The stimulation strength is an assistance and training system through a sense of balance feedback, characterized in that calculated in proportion to the distance between the absolute center point and the measured center point of pressure.
6. The method of claim 5,
A region is set based on the positions of a plurality of pressure sensors and the absolute central point, a plurality of specific regions centered on the absolute central point are partitioned in the region, and stimulus values for each specific region are stored in the database,
The stimulation determining unit assists and training system through a sense of balance feedback, characterized in that for determining the stimulation strength stored in response to the specific region in which the center of pressure value is located.
A method of operating an assistive and training system comprising:
Wearing the assisting and training system through a sense of balance feedback according to claim 1 on the lower extremity side;
Measuring the foot pressure by each of a plurality of pressure sensors installed in a plurality on the sole side of the human body;
calculating, by a center of gravity calculator, a balance degree based on the pressure values measured by the plurality of pressure sensors; and
An electrical stimulation unit attached to the muscle side of the human body to generate a torque by stimulating the muscle with an electrical signal to function as a muscle based on the calculated balance degree, and an electrical stimulation unit attached to the muscle side to vibrate the muscle Controlling to provide feedback on the degree of balance by driving at least one of the vibration modules that apply
9. The method of claim 8,
After the wearing step,
Comprising the step of measuring the absolute center point based on the pressure value measured by the plurality of pressure sensors in the setting mode by the center of gravity calculation unit and storing it in a database,
Measuring the degree of balance comprises calculating the current center of pressure based on the pressure values measured by the plurality of pressure sensors in the training assistance mode.
10. The method of claim 9,
After measuring the balance,
Based on the position of the pressure center point relative to the absolute center point, the stimulus determining unit calculates a direction value and a stimulus strength, determines a vibration module to be driven that can feed back a balance based on the direction value, and based on the direction value Further comprising the step of determining the electrical stimulation unit to be driven that can restore the pressure center point to the absolute center point side,
In the controlling step, the control unit drives the determined vibration module and controls the determined electrical stimulation unit to be driven with the calculated stimulation intensity.
11. The method of claim 10,
The stimulation intensity is an operation method of an assistance and training system through a sense of balance feedback, characterized in that calculated in proportion to the distance between the absolute center point and the measured center point of pressure.
11. The method of claim 10,
A region is set based on the positions of a plurality of pressure sensors and the absolute central point, a plurality of specific regions centered on the absolute central point are partitioned in the region, and stimulus values for each specific region are stored in the database,
The method of operation of the assistance and training system through a sense of balance feedback, characterized in that the stimulus determination unit determines the stimulus value stored in response to the specific region in which the center of pressure value is located as the stimulus intensity.

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