ECE 791 Senior Project Proposal Advisors: Professor Wayne Smith Development and Testing of a Balance Platform Perturbator for Research in Neuromuscular Physiology and Biomechanics ECE 791 Senior Project Proposal Josh Moberger    Advisors: Professor Wayne Smith Professor Ron Croce

Topics to cover Introduction List of Terms Design Specifications Kinesiology Electrical Engineering List of Terms Design Specifications Implementation and Testing Schedule Budget

Introduction Purpose: To design and build a balance platform perturbator, use it to collect data, and then analyze the data. Goals: Study body’s balance and stabilization mechanisms and gain information regarding knee injuries occurring in sports and everyday life.

Defining Key Terms Perturbator: the device we will be building to “perturb” the balance of those whom we are testing CSMI Humac Balance System

Defining Key Terms Electromyography (EMG): tests the electrical activity of muscles. Surface Electromyography (sEMG) www.pt.ntu.edu.tw/hmchai/Biomechanics/BMmeasure/MuscleStrengthMeasure.htm

Defining Key Terms Electromyography (EMG) Records the recruitment of motor units Neurons send signals from the brain to the muscle, directing the muscle fibers to contract Connection of one neuron to one muscle fiber= one motor unit Increasing myoelectric activity causes increase in tension (contraction) of the muscle Not a linear relationship

Introduction How? Perturbator built around the Humac Balance System Shifting the platform will force the test subject to respond by shifting his or her balance Balance System will send data to computer sEMG collects data directly from the muscles around the knee

Design Specifications Box/platform built around the sides and underneath the Balance system All four corners must remain flat and in constant, steady contact with the perturbator Servo motor used to shift the perturbator Microcontroller used to control the servo motor GUI designed to control the movements

Block Diagram

The Balance platform will be sitting parallel to the floor, in a frame built underneath it and around it, leaving only the top surface exposed. The frame will be secured on top of the full perturbator unit. It will have space to slide both left and right. Perturbator Design

How will it move? With a flat gear secured on the bottom of the frame, it will interlock with a gear connected to the servo motor.

Design concerns Vertical strength vs horizontal mobility: The balance platform will have test subjects standing entirely on top of it, so it needs to be strong enough to support over 200 lbs of downward force, while still maintaining the ability to shift side to side smoothly. Security of platform vs accuracy of measurements The balance platform needs to be kept completely still within its frame, without the frame putting pressure on to the sides or top of the platform.

Implementation and Testing Kinesiology lab has existing MATLAB code to analyze the EMG data Fourier Transforms Data from Balance System and perturbator will be analyzed using this code and additional MATLAB code written to utilize wavelet analysis

Schedule

Budget Servo Motor ~$50-75 Microcontroller ~$20-40 Building materials ~$30-50 Remaining electronic components <$10 TOTAL: $100-$170