For everyone
Welcome to objective balance data.
‘there is no adequate device able to measure balance and there is still no accepted standard balance assessment procedure.'
-Dr Maryam Ghahramani
Until Now.
Why and how is a person’s balance measured?
Balance is an important indicator of many health problems including neurological disorders, heart problems, inner ear problems, vision problems, muscle and joint problems, nervous system problems, anxiety and stress, diabetes and problems arising from medications. Researchers, medical practitioners and healthcare professionals worldwide use a variety of devices to measure and assess balance ability and there is general agreement that the devices currently used are inadequate.
In 2016 Dr Maryam Ghahramani reviewed methods and devices for balance, fall risk detection and mobility assessment in older people, identifying and reviewing more than 150 papers. She found that
‘there is no adequate device able to measure balance and there is still no accepted standard balance assessment procedure.’
This is an important statement as it highlights two major shortcomings in the global effort to measure and assess people’s balance and thereby help address their health problems. Researchers worldwide are using a range of inadequate devices and are also using many different procedures and protocols which limits the comparison of results.
For many decades balance has been measured worldwide by researchers using platforms upon which people stand. The most popular was the Nintendo Wii, a gaming device designed for children that was commandeered by the scientific community for balance research in the absence of any other device. Nintendo ceased production of the Wii in 2013. Kistler force plates, a variety of Wii clones and various large standing apparatus have been used worldwide for many decades and have proven to be fundamentally inadequate.
About the Balance Mat
‘In summary, the current study examined the validity of the Balance Mat for postural sway assessment. Our results demonstrated that this device is a valid and objective measurement tool for postural sway assessment. The Balance Mat measurements were strongly correlated with those of the Inertial Monitoring Unit. Inertial sensors are proved to be highly sensitive in postural sway analysis. Balance Mat can offer unique advantages in postural sway assessment due to its lightweight, portability, and ease of use.’
This is the conclusion of Dr Maryam Ghahramani’s paper ‘Performance Analysis of a Postural Balance Assessment Mat Prototype Using Inertial Sensor’ which was published on 9 October 2022 by IEEE Sensors. The International Electrical and Electronics Engineers Association is ‘the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefits of humanity.’
The Balance Mat has a single sensor located in the top corner of the mat. The sensor has an LED which sends light through an optical fibre mesh inside the mat and an LDR to receive the light. The fibre arrangement is in a grid pattern such that an average person in the normal stance or tandem stance is standing on 28 optical fibre crossover points, each of which acts as a single sensor.
If a person has poor balance then as he sways he squashes many of the crossover spots. The squashing of the fibre at each spot causes light to be lost into the jacket or wall of the fibre, and this loss of light is recorded by the sensor. The more the person sways, then the more light is collectively lost and the signal translates to more peaks on the graph.
The data output from the Balance Mat is able to be easily interpreted. During a 20-second Balance Mat test, the output is shown in real-time in the form of a graph and a score is calculated progressively as variance during the test.
The graph clearly shows the movement of the person standing on the mat. For a person who is not swaying at all the graph will be a straight line. The results can be saved or discarded at the end of the test.
FAQs
WHAT FACTORS AFFECT STATIC BALANCE?
Maintaining balance involves three primary systems of the human body: the vestibular (equilibrium), somatosensory (proprioception and kinesthesia) and visual (spatial location relative to objects).
HOW LONG DOES A BALANCE MAT TEST GO FOR?
A standard Balance Mat test goes for 20 seconds. This can be shortened at the practitioner’s discretion.
HOW ARE BALANCE MAT'S RESULTS RECORDED?
At the end of each Balance Mat test or set of tests the practitioner has the option to upload the graph and score to the online score information system along with biodata comprising the name, gender, year of birth, known medical conditions and notes regarding the person whose balance is being tested. The practitioner has access to the data they upload on the SIS via a unique user ID and password.
HOW DOES THE BALANCE MAT WORK?
Our single sensor fibre optic device measures differences in light, which is processed by our algorithm to give a score and a graphical representation of postural sway on a computer running Windows 10, Windows 11 or MacOS.
WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE’S A LARGE DEGREE OF MOVEMENT ON THE GRAPHICAL DISPLAY?
The healthcare or fitness practitioner needs to assess the information provided by the Balance Mat and use other tests and information available to determine if the person has a problem with their balance ability.
WHAT IS THE VALUE OF BALANCE MAT DATA?
Balance Mat data can be used for a range of science and research, analytical, diagnostic, therapeutic and comparative purposes including falls prevention, fitness monitoring, progress tracking, physiotherapy, exercise physiology, injury and post-surgery rehabilitation, pre-employment screening and work fitness evaluation.
Who are the collaborators of Balance Mat?
Since the inception of Balance Mat Pty Ltd in 2016 the company has been collaborating with the following organisations who have helped us develop and validate our unique balance testing system. They include the Council on the Ageing (COTA) ACT and COTA SA, University of Canberra, Hastings Medical Centre and RMIT University and Edith Cowan University.
What Balance Mats are available?
We manufacture and sell the Balance Mat, Balance Mat Pro, and Balance Mat Online platform.
Trusted by professionals.
TESTIMONIALS
"The ‘Balance Mat’ is an exciting medical device which I have proudly supported since its development, right up to its recent TGA approval. As the name suggests, the ‘Balance Mat’ measures how well balanced you are. This revolutionary product will be an asset to aged care facilities and medical practices in the detection of preventable falls and injuries. The ‘Balance Mat’ also has the potential to become a gamechanger in determining concussions amongst sports people. I gave it a go myself. Turns out, I’m a pretty well-balanced bloke!"
Dr. David Gillespie MP
Former Federal Minister for Regional Health and Minister Assisting the Minister for Trade and Investment
“I believe your new Balance Mat product offers considerable benefit to the aged care community as an effective new tool to assist with falls prevention.”
Jenny Mobbs
Executive Director, Council on the Ageing
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