ES1300058U - MOTOR ACTIVITY IMPROVEMENT DEVICE (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

A motor activity improvement device characterized in that it comprises, in each child's shoe, a plurality of sensors (1), a control unit (3), a wireless transmitter (2) and a power supply (4), placed in each one of a child's shoes, and where the control units (3) of each shoe are coordinated with each other and the plurality of sensors (1) are configured to obtain a series of biomechanical variables of the shoe. child's gait selected from cadence, stride time, step time, support time, flight time and double support time. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

DESCRIPTION

MOTOR ACTIVITY IMPROVEMENT DEVICE

Technical sector

The present invention refers to a device for improving motor activity that is configured to obtain a child's motor development index from biomechanical gait variables by means of an inertial sensor integrated into a shoe and promoting physical activity. customized for the child. It is especially applicable in the field of orthopedics, physiotherapy and childcare.

state of the art

To control the motor development of children, especially young ones, it is necessary to carry out a series of tests under the supervision of specially trained medical or technical personnel. This has to evaluate the cadence of walking, the risk of falls, the speed... during the march of the child. In order to adequately estimate the different variables of your gait and define an adequate motor development index, you often have to resort to recording the movement on video and spend a long time analyzing it, with the possibility of error, or resort to biomechanical laboratories with photogrammetry where professional gait assessments are carried out taking into account the cost that this entails.

However, from documents such as WO2014100045A1, biometric monitoring systems are known that are based on the incorporation of pressure, orientation, movement and position sensors in the soles of shoes to capture biomechanical information that can be transmitted to an external system. . Document US2013118039A1 describes a device for locating and tracking people (children) that is inserted into footwear. It incorporates a rechargeable battery, antenna, a location module and a wireless communications module to facilitate its position to an external security server.

Document US2013211290A1 details a system for the diagnosis of walking activity to correct, if necessary, those defects that could potentially affect people's health. Finally, the document WO2013038214A2 corresponds to a method and device for monitoring balance and parameters related to body position and gait of patients (Parkinson's, sclerosis, rehabilitation). The invention is based on an iron that is placed on the sole of the shoes and that incorporates different sensors, a rechargeable battery, a central processing unit, and wireless communications. An algorithm based on a neural network makes it possible to determine the center of gravity of the body and evaluate its balance, state or location.

That is, tools are known to increase the precision of movement measurements, but they have not been used to monitor and improve the motor development of children, but a device like the one in claim 1 is not known.

Explanation of the invention

The invention consists of a device for improving motor activity according to the claims that accompany the present specification. The device of the invention allows, in its different embodiments, to promote activity and a healthy life for the child through specific games in order to improve the index of motor development, and an assessment of gait, obtaining clinically relevant biomechanical variables. Based on these measurements and variables obtained, the appropriate personnel will be able to assess the development of the child.

With the device of the invention, the following advantages are obtained:

— Obtaining a child's motor development index, which can be compared with the percentiles for their age.

— Identify the activity being performed (walking, running or crawling).

— Make an estimate of energy expenditure using moments of activity, in order to control the risk of childhood obesity.

— Promote physical activity for the child through games.

— Obtaining a series of biomechanical gait variables (cadence, stride time, step time, support time, flight time and double support time).

In particular, the device for improving motor activity of the invention makes use of the aforementioned shoes, which have acceleration sensors in the three axes, a control unit, a transmitter (wired or wireless) and a power supply. in two separate shoes of a child. With them, it detects the accelerations suffered by the shoe during a short period of time, with which it manages to estimate the type of movement made by the child. With this, it accumulates the time spent in each type of movement and can calculate the energy expenditure (from data entered in the control unit or an external device that communicates with both control units).

In a more preferred embodiment, once the type of movement has been recognized, it calculates the cadence, the flight time and the support time on each foot from the accelerations captured by the sensors. It can also estimate an index of motor development of the child. It can be completed with a stage of selecting an activity (usually a game) to be carried out by the child and measuring the movements carried out by the child during the activity.

Since the two shoes are independent, it is convenient to add a coordination stage between the control units of each shoe. It can be due to a communication between the two, with the transmitter, or due to a countdown and time marker based on the signal from an external device. The transmission can also be used to assist in the calibration of the sensors.

A preferred motion type estimate calculation includes performing a fast Fourier transform and comparing the result to a record in memory. This record will include the typical results of crawling, walking, running and any other interesting activity: climbing stairs (high vertical component), kicking (unbalanced movement between both shoes with a peak of acceleration in one of the feet), dancing (scarce frontal component and harmonic and rhythmic signals) among others.

In order to reduce consumption while maintaining the usefulness of the system, it is preferred that the calculation of cadence, flight time and support time on each foot is performed upon receipt of a command from an external device.

The calculation and estimation parts can be performed on the external device. For example, the calculation of cadence, flight and support time or the estimation of the motor development index.

Other variants will be described later.

Description of the drawings

For a better understanding of the invention, the following figures are included.

Figure 1: Diagram of an example of a shoe that can be used in the invention.

Figure 2: Table of percentiles of the motor development index.

Modes of carrying out the invention

An embodiment of the invention is briefly described below, as an illustrative and non-limiting example thereof.

The device comprises children's shoes such as those described in the patents of the state of the art. That is, each shoe has sensors (1) to obtain a series of biomechanical gait variables (cadence, stride time, step time, support time, flight time and double support time). For example, they may correspond to a tri-axial accelerometer, three suitably arranged accelerometers, a gyroscope, or other equivalent sensors.

The shoe will have a transmitter (2) of the information captured, which will preferably be wireless ( Bluetooth Low Energy) but can also include a physical port to download the data when visiting the doctor or responsible for monitoring the child's development.

All the aforementioned components will be controlled by a control unit (3) and will be powered by a battery (4), preferably rechargeable by induction. It is preferred to have all these elements in the heel because they are more protected and have more space for their placement and avoid flexion zones of the foot. In any case, it may be interesting to place a sensor (1) in the toecap to improve data collection.

The control unit (3) can carry out part of the processing and calculations of the process, or send the raw data for treatment to an external device (5), such as a mobile phone or a tablet with sufficient capacity and a suitable application. Other types of devices are also usable. The application finishes calculating the motor development index, recognizing the type of activity carried out by the position of the sensors, your cadence and other variables. This is how it determines if the activity is a crawl, a march, a race... or even the existence of falls. You can compare the motor development index with other users of your age or injury status, to contrast your evolution. For example, it will estimate your motor development index and classify it according to the percentile for your age range and the energy expenditure made at each moment.

The index of motor development can be estimated from the standard deviation of the stride time, divided by the mean of the stride time:

_{100 *} Stride Time

Time Stride

With this result and age, the motor development index is classified.

Based on these estimates, it promotes physical activity by suggesting games that are specific to the activity that the child must develop, making it possible to analyze their evolution in real time. Examples of these games would be: kicking a ball, jumping, hide-and-seek or following the rhythm in a dance.

The components built into each shoe will have a series of operating steps.

As long as the sensors (1) do not detect movement, they would be in sleep mode. When the activity starts, it captures that accelerations are taking place and at that very moment performs the fast Fourier transform to consider whether the movement is walking, running or crawling. Another method to classify the type of movement is to use the average values of the different axes of the sensor. Once classified, it analyzes the number of steps from the accelerations and, using the number of steps, the time dedicated to each activity and the child's data, the energy expenditure is estimated. It is necessary for the calibration of the sensors (1) of each shoe to be consistent, or to have a means of transmission between the two to coordinate their evaluations.

If desired, more precise data such as cadence, time on each foot or both, time of flight can be analyzed. Generally, to avoid overloading the components, it is preferred to perform the most accurate analyzes in specific tests, commanded from the device. To do this, the transmitter (2) will also be the receiver of these commands. In order to be easily comparable, these tests will be carried out in fixed routes (straight line, oval circuit, with or without stairs) or in the games that have been recommended from the measurements. To correctly measure the variables, the measurements of both shoes will have to be coordinated, for example, using a time stamp from the moment the command is received. This data can be accumulated or transmitted in streaming to the external device.

Claims (4)

1- A motor activity improvement device characterized in that it comprises, in each child's shoe, a plurality of sensors (1), a control unit (3), a wireless transmitter (2) and a power supply (4 ), placed in each one of a child's shoes, and where the control units (3) of each shoe are coordinated with each other and the plurality of sensors (1) are configured to obtain a series of biomechanical variables of the shoe. child's gait selected from cadence, stride time, step time, support time, flight time and double support time. 2. - The device of claim 1 where the plurality of sensors (1) comprises a triaxial accelerometer, three accelerometers arranged in three axes or a gyroscope. 3. - The device according to claim 1 or 2 where the plurality of sensors (1), the control unit (3), the wireless transmitter (2) and the power supply (4) are arranged in the area of the heel of each of the child's shoes. 4. - The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 where at least one of the sensors (1) is in the toe area of the child's footwear.