Wearable and wireless performance evaluation system for sports science with an example in badminton.

Two capacitive sensing units were designed, fabricated, and embedded into two corresponding fingerstalls through microelectronic and additive manufacturing with flexible materials and ergonomic considerations in this study. The sensing units were routed to an adaptor, which in turn was routed to a transmission port (comprising a signal converter and a Bluetooth module), realizing a wearable and wireless force sensing system for sports science applications as the objective. The collected capacitive signals were converted through a preliminarily established database, indicating local force distributions on finger segments. Practical examinations with badminton actions (forehand cross-net shots) were conducted by players to show the effectiveness of the proposed system as an application example. Statistical and quantified results reflected the visual observations on valid shots (67% and 39% for the professional and amateur players, respectively) and well-controlled racket-holding attitude (19.69% and 35.31% force application difference between the first two segments of the index finger of the professional and amateur player, respectively). These proved that the proposed system outperforms existing similar systems in the market and is able to not only classify players with different skill levels but also distinguish attitude stability and controllability, showing scientific evidence in sports science for the first time.

An Accessible Training Device for Children With Cerebral Palsy.

Walking and balance capabilities can be improved upon using repetitive ankle dorsiflexion exercises. Here we developed two types of pedal switches incorporated with training devices to improve their walking and balance performance of children with cerebral palsy. The first type of pedal switch can be used to operate a home appliance, while the second type of pedal switch can connect them to web games. Pedal switches can be used for home rehabilitation. This randomized controlled trial included patients in the intervention (n = 24) and control (n = 24) groups who completed 15 weeks of ankle training. The experimental group performed ankle dorsiflexion using a pressure-activated pedal switch connected to the web games. The control group performed ankle dorsiflexion exercises using a pedal switch that operated a home appliance (a fan). Standing balance and walking performance were estimated using the Zebris FDM system, a pressure force platform, the Pediatric Balance Scale score, and the 1-minute walk test. The pre- and posttest data were analyzed using analysis of variance and analysis of covariance, which revealed that the intervention group had more significant improvements in sway patterns and balance and walking. The developed facility of a modified pedal switch integrated with web games can achieve better exercise adherence to promote balance and walking performance than that with home appliances. Maintaining motivation in children with cerebral palsy plays a very important role in the rehabilitation process.

Upper-Limb Rehabilitation With Adaptive Video Games for Preschool Children With Developmental Disabilities.

OBJECTIVE: This study used a novel device to make video games accessible to children with developmental disabilities (DD) by modifying the training software and interfaces to enhance motor training. METHOD: In the pretest-posttest design, 20 children (13 boys, 7 girls; mean age=5.2 yr) with DD received adaptive upper-limb motor rehabilitation consisting of fifteen 30-min individual sessions 3 times per week for 5 wk. RESULTS: Improvement in Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration and Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, Second Edition, scores for children with DD indicated significant differences between pretest and posttest. CONCLUSION: The rehabilitation device modified for the needs of children with DD is effective in improving visual-motor performance of children with DD.