SmartReach : อุปกรณ์อัจฉริยะสำหรับทดสอบสมดุลการทรงตัวด้วยการเอื้อมมือ

Abstract

Thailand is transitioning into an aging society, and statistics indicate that falls are a significant concern among older adults. Falls can lead to serious consequences, including disability or bedridden conditions. Evaluating balance ability through functional reach tests (FRT) is crucial to assessing fall risk. In this engineering project, an FRT device called “SmartReach” was designed and developed. The primary objectives were to create a digital prototype for measuring functional reach distance and develop an application that connects to the prototype to collect test data. Unlike traditional FRT methods that use a wooden stick for measuring reach, SmartReach utilizes an M5StickCPlus, which contains an ESP32 microcontroller. It combines an ultrasonic sensor for measuring distance and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) for angle detection during movement. The accuracy of SmartReach was tested, and it demonstrated acceptable deviations from the reference distance (within 10%). This device can be beneficial in clinical settings for physical therapists to assess fall risk among patients in hospitals and communities. Additionally, the collected data can be used for further analysis of fall risk factors123.