Abstract
In order to improve the standing balance of elderly people, a standing balance control device has been developed. It was for vibratory stimulation on soles. In this study, we experimented both young adults and elderly people (10 young people, mean 24.4 years, and 9 elderly, 86.8 years). The subjects were instructed to stand relaxed, with bare feet and their eyes closed on the mat over a force platform. The four areas of feet stimulation were 4 big toes, heels, and metatarsal bones in both feet. This result showed that the vibratory stimulation on soles induced a displacement of the center of pressure to the opposite direction. The results suggest that this device can be for the sensory feedback system and guiding device for balance stability.
