Document Type

Honors Thesis

Abstract

A thorough preliminary performance on the validity of a wireless Postural Stability Sensing Unit (PSSU) was performed. The tests were performed with the device attached to self, and the following scenarios were conducted for standing on both legs and standing on dominant/right leg: eyes open, eyes closed, eyes open with moderate instability in the medial-lateral plane, eyes open with moderate instability in the anterior-posterior plane, eyes open with severe instability in the medial-lateral plane, and finally eyes open with severe instability in the anterior-posterior plane. In most trials, the PSSU was able to provide information on how unstable my body was in a variety of scenarios. Standing on the right leg with eyes open and severe instability in the Anterior-Posterior plane showed the most displacement in terms of angular sway, with values going up to ±40° over 10 seconds. With the same stance but with severe instability in the medial-lateral plane, although there was a significant amount of angular displacement, the amplitude was nearly half of that of anterior-posterior, approximately ±20°. Unfortunately, the result of the tests did not provide a percentage score of how stably my body performed. However, it was substituted with other indicators such as absolute mean values for each of the trials. These findings provide insight into not only how the human body system maintains stability, but also how PSSU and similar devices can be developed to aid in human performance research and provide a decent direction for further projects to continue.

Publication Date

12-1-2017

Language

English

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