1. 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

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

3. 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.

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

5. Defining Key Terms
Electromyography (EMG): tests the electrical activity of muscles.
Surface Electromyography (sEMG)

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. Block Diagram

10. 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

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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

14. Schedule

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