For the midterm, I plan to develop a mobile web app called “U-Balance.” The “U-Balance” app is part of a project I’m working on with two partners in my “Developing Assistive Technology” class. Essentially, the app will be used as an aid in physical therapy exercises by accessing the gyroscope/accelerometer on an ipod touch to provide immediate qualitative feedback and long term quantitative information.
The device, in this case an ipod touch, will be placed within a neoprene strap-harness on a patient’s forearm. The app will be activated and, once the patient assumes the appropriate starting position, a baseline reading level will be set. Upon movement, the app will give feedback, most likely audio, indicating the accuracy/quality of the patient’s movement. For example, it could start beeping if the sensor readings are outside of a predetermined range, meaning the patient is not performing the activity correctly.
In addition, the app will save and store the collected data, which will be used to evaluate overall performance, track progress over time, etc. I’m guessing this data will all be saved either in some sort of online database or native to the device and then uploaded to the web. I plan to work on this specific project throughout the semester.