Estimation of Body Sway Dynamics in a Soft Actuators-based Exercise Game with Squat Motions

Postural stability is a significant aspect that needs to be investigated to prevent the risk of injuries and falls in all age groups. Moreover, developing reliable techniques and feedback modalities to enhance the posture control evaluation is crucial. The study investigates the effects of incorporating self-simulated gaming exercises with haptic feedback on posture control in young adults. Participants were randomly assigned to three groups: a control group (n=10) which performed conventional squatting within prescribed time intervals; an intervention group A (n=9), which engaged in virtual reality (VR)-based squatting; and an intervention group B (n=9), which performed squatting in a VR environment while wearing a soft actuator suit. The gaming interface dynamically optimizes the difficulty of squatting based on the user’s knee tremor. We evaluated several center of pressure (COP) parameters: dis- placement, root mean square (RMS), area, median frequency, and mean velocity in the mediolateral (ML) and anterior- posterior (AP) directions. Statistical analysis using ANOVA revealed significant effects in the ML displacement between the control group and intervention group B (p = 0.027), ML RMS between the control group and intervention group A (p = 0.001), and between the control group and intervention group B (p = 0.001). Additionally, significant differences were observed in the circumference area between the control group and intervention group A (p = 0.035) and between the control group and intervention group B (p = 0.001). The findings indicate that the developed prototype, which provides visual and haptic guidance, shows promise as a tool for improving postural control.