GyBAR Wearable Uses a Gyroscopic Actuator for Hands-Free Balance Assistance, Minimizes Fall Risk
With a flywheel on their back, fall-risk patients may find it easier to walk unaided — and keep their hands free, too.
Researchers at the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) have unveiled a wearable robotics system dubbed GyBAR, designed to provide gyroscopic balance assistance — as a hands-free alternative to canes and walkers.
"Falling is among the most frequent causes of hospitalization and death among the elderly," the team explains of its work. "More than 1 out of 3 adults over the age of 70 fall in a 12-month period. Compared to their healthy counterparts, individuals post stroke have a sevenfold higher risk of falling. While it is known that impaired balance is a key risk factor for falls, balance training programs for survivors of stroke have not yet been proven an effective means to actually reduce fall risk."
"Gyroscopic actuators are appealing for wearable applications due to their ability to provide overground balance support without obstructing the legs. Multiple wearable robots using this actuation principle have been proposed, but none has yet been evaluated with humans. Here we use the GyBAR, a backpack-like prototype portable robot, to investigate the hypothesis that the balance of both healthy and chronic stroke subjects can be augmented through moments applied to the upper body."
GyBAR is a backpack-like wearable fitted with a gyroscopic actuator, formed of constantly-spinning disks which can be repositioned via an electric motor. An inertial measurement unit (IMU) tracks the angle of the wearer, and adjusts the gyroscopic actuators in order to impart a force on the wearer's trunk — gently correcting their balance.
"It was found that gyroscopic moments applied to the upper body can significantly improve functional balance during both standing and walking amongst healthy subjects," the engineers conclude. "Notably, the most successful and best-perceived candidate assistive controller did not require a reference posture and was able to reduce the frequency of motion of the trunk. An exploratory investigation found similar promising results amongst individuals with chronic stroke, suggesting potential utility for this technology in rehabilitation."
The team's work has been published under open-access terms in the journal Nature Scientific Reports. Additional coverage can be found on Device & Materials Engineering.