Project Overview

Stroke is a major issue in the United States with more than 800,000 yearly occurrences and 133,000 deaths annually. Many stroke survivors experience brain damage that can result in permanent disabilities, such as hemiplegia. Last semester, a device was fabricated in order to help one hemiplegic individual monitor their lateral balance by providing audio-biofeedback. After consulting a physical therapist, it is evident that there exists need for a more general purpose balance device, as balance issues are not limited to only hemiplegic individuals but are common in most neurological disorders. Kim Skinner from the Tactile Communication and Neurorehabilitation Laboratory at UW-Madison is using a combination of physical therapy with tongue stimulation in order to train subjects to balance and retain their sense of balance. We are developing a portable device that will allow her subjects to practice proper weight distributions at home. We hope that our device will supplement the physical therapy done at TCNL and allow subjects to have better balancing retention and improve their overall quality of life.

Team Picture

Image

Files

• Final PDS 2014-05-07 (May 7, 2014)
• Final Poster (May 7, 2014)
• Final Report (May 7, 2014)
• Preliminary Presentation (February 26, 2014)
• PDS 2014-02-26 (February 26, 2014)
• Preliminary Design Report (February 26, 2014)

Contact Information

Team Members

• Andrew Vamos - Team Leader
• Xiyu Wang - Communicator
• Jacob Hindt - BSAC & BPAG
• Shawn Patel - BWIG

Advisor and Client

• Dr. Tom Yen - Advisor
• Dr. Willis Tompkins - Client