Author:

Abstract:

Falls in the elderly are a major threat not for only their independency but also because the major cost for the healthcare system. Many researchers use experiments in subjects to study balance reactions and how they decline in the elderly. These experiments describe the changes in their reactions, but it is quit hard to know what they are related to as many aspects of the human body change with aging. We propose that by using computer representations of the human body we can better understand what specific aspects impose the largest risks as they prevent elderly to recover balance. To develop these computer representations we will perform experiments that will perturb the posture and gait using an exoskeleton. Using this approach, we will be able to predict the effect of age-related changes, such as muscle weakness, on balance. This will allow us to detect the muscles that are most important to remain stable. This information can then be used in training protocols.