For patients undergoing physical therapy, accurately tracking their movements is crucial for their recovery. To address this need, a team of researchers developed an innovative method that utilizes ring permanent magnets and Hall-effect sensors to detect movement in real-time.
The system works by placing a ring permanent magnet inside each ball and sensors at certain distances inside the rod using Hall-Effect. As the ball moves along the rod, the sensors are stimulated by the magnet inside, and the information is sent to the controller boards responsible for creating audio feedback. The distance between two sensors is set to 5 cm to recognize the patient's movements in small intervals. For long bars, approximately 30 sensors are needed, which can pose challenges in terms of cost and production.
To overcome this challenge, the team decided to equip each sensor board with a circuit to connect to the previous and next sensor. By converting the communication protocol from parallel to serial, the number of communication wires between the sensors and the main controller circuit is reduced. This final design uses the converter of Parallel-Input-Serial-Output (PISO), reducing the total number of communication wires along with power wires to only five. This makes the system more convenient and appropriate for production and assembly.
The main controller board receives information from the sensors and produces audio feedback based on pre-determined training rules. It includes input and output circuits to receive sensor information, an audio file player circuit, wireless communication circuits, power supply circuits, and a memory board to store relevant files. Compared to other methods, this system is reliable, insensitive to dust, and does not require complex maintenance routines. It also has the advantage of using non-metallic or metallic pipes, with the team finding that two circular permanent magnets installed inside the ball can detect movement on a steel rod using Hall-effect sensors. This allows for the use of bent steel pipes, which are common in industrial applications and are more durable and cost-effective than non-metallic pipes.
To create the system, the team used the Arduino WEMOS mini D1 as the main microprocessor for the processor part of the module. The controller circuit, including the processor board, power supply, and input and output parts, as well as the memory connection board and audio file playback, was designed by the team, and the printed circuit board was designed and made as a sample, assembled, and tested. The design also considered the low price and availability of parts, enabling mass production at a low cost.
Overall, this innovative movement detection system provides a reliable and cost-effective solution for accurately tracking patient movements during physical therapy. With its wide applications in the industry and its ability to use metallic or non-metallic pipes, this system has the potential to revolutionize the way physical therapy is conducted.
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