Devices analysing balance quality and autonomy level

Performing a movement from an initial stable posture requires the person to create disequilibrium. The forces of gravity that the person is subjected to would tend to make them fall. To counteract these problems, it is necessary to develop mechanisms of balance in order to move about. The degeneration of mechanisms of balance control has been largely measured in elderly subjects. The balance decline, the appearance of fear of falling, and the resulting loss of autonomy, constitute a major problem for public health. The IDeAS research group (UTT) addresses these critical issues by specialising in the development of innovative devices that enable the capacity of elderly to live autonomous to be evaluated in their own homes. The devices used have been designed in order to perform frequent evaluation of the quality of balance and grip strength. These technologies consist of a balance quality tester and the Grip-ball. (C) 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.