Development of individual difference analysis equipment in the direction of easily falling over and demonstration of its usefulness

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25560286
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering
• Research Institution: Kochi University
• Principal Investigator: NAGANO Yasunori 高知大学, 教育研究部医療学系臨床医学部門, 助教 (30380372)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 健康 / 福祉工学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Four Square Step Test（FSST） has been reported as a dynamic balance evaluation of falls. However, the FSST is only a time measurement that reciprocates four squares. We developed a device that can decompose moving motion in 8 directions around, such as front, back, left and right, and detect the direction which took longer time. In addition, this device can also perform random movement exercises specialized in a weak movement direction.
As a result of intervention training conducted on 25 subjects, reduction of wobbling leading to falls, shortening of weak movement time, improvement of lower limb muscle strength was confirmed. It was inferred that the lower limb muscular strength and the weak movement time improved by random and rapid load transfer to the surrounding eight directions. Lower limb muscular strength has the greatest influence on fall risk, and its improvement may have led to a reduction in waving.

Free Research Field

人間医工学