Stem II, or more commonly known as the Assistive Technology Project, is taught by Dr. C. In this project, students form groups of four to five students to create a project that meets the needs of a client. Projects range from sensors to prosthetics and more.
An Adaptive System for Fall Prevention Using Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation
Considering the presence of stairs in many buildings, whether it is homes, office buildings, or public areas, it is essential that individuals with arthritis or knee pain when walking up stairs have an affordable device that helps them navigate stairs independently, with reduced pain and increased comfort. There is no low-cost wearable device that can detect early balance loss and provide real-time vestibular feedback to help prevent falls before they occur.
Create a wearable device using IMU motion sensing and galvanic vestibular stimulation to detect instability and assist balance correction in real time.
Our system utilizes a glasses-mounted, noninvasive hardware architecture designed to detect postural instability and provide real-time vestibular feedback to prevent falls before they occur. By integrating an ESP32-based control system, a 3-IMU array, and a Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation (GVS) electrode network, the prototype successfully fulfills all critical Level 1 design requirements. Specifically, the wearable form factor preserves the user's normal mobility and ensures fast response times to rapid changes in orientation, all while remaining safe, noninvasive, and strictly within the project's accessibility cost limits.
Our current prototype is Version 4: PCB/Glasses-Mounted 3-IMU GVS Prototype. It is designed to be easily accessible in the form of glasses while simultaneously allowing for GVS act as a fall-prevention system. See the pictures below of our prototype!
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