The University of Calgary’s kinesiology department is researching treatments for people with balance impairments using a one-of-a-kind robotic device.

Ryan Peters, lead researcher and associate professor at UCalgary, said that by studying older adults with the instrument, he has developed a plan to use it alongside a second technology as a potential new treatment that could extend to other demographics, too. 

Called a Hexapod platform, the device is a honeycomb-shaped flat surface mounted on six motorized legs. Participants stand on the platform, safely strapped into a harness, as the machine tilts unexpectedly beneath them, allowing researchers to assess their movement.

“What we’re looking at is how do their muscles react, how does their posture change, so that we can sort of film their body as they’re perturbed, and study how they respond and keep their balance,” said Peters. 

“It’s quite a useful device in the sense that it can really perturb in any direction and really simulate things like slipping on ice, tripping on different things in your environment, things like that.”

He said similar devices have been used in sports medicine before, but this is the first of its kind used at such a scale. Peters, also the chief science officer at Neursantys, said the Hexapod will be used in collaboration with a wearable device the company created. 

Two is better than one: How the devices work in tandem

Named Neurvesta, the gadget is worn around the neck, like a travel pillow. Its cords attach behind each ear, sending electrical stimulation to the declining vestibular organs — those located inside the ear that decline over time, causing age-related balance problems. 

“The platform can be employed as a tool to benchmark and assess balance before, during, and after the Neurvesta,” said Peters. 

“We also believe it may serve as a treatment itself.”

According to a 2022 report from the Public Health Agency of Canada, falls are the leading cause of injury-related hospitalizations and deaths among people aged 65 and older. The report attributed this to the natural erosion of these organs, which begins as early as age 40.

“It’s a huge burden on their quality of life and on the healthcare system,” said Peters. 

“We’re looking at different ways of rehabilitating balance through training on a dynamic platform like this, as well as a different wearable device that can help to improve and enhance balance.”

His research involved attaching the device to participants for short 20-minute sessions done several times over six weeks. Peters described conjugating the devices as a form of therapy that, over time, heals balance by instructing the body’s systems to restore themselves. 

“What we have shown is that, with the older adults, we’re doing some stimulation of their inner ear, the balance organs,” he said.

“We’ve shown very promising improvements in balance and mobility in senior citizens.”

Prioritizing seniors while extending research to all ages

Defining the duo as a “research-grade tool,” Peters said it is currently in its pilot stage and will likely stay within healthcare facilities given the Hexapods’ size. He said he is considering portable versions for commercial sale, but envisions them being used more appropriately in clinics and senior care centres. 

“Imagine standing on a bus, and it starts to move from underneath your feet, and you’re perturbed,” said Peters.

“How do you catch yourself and prevent a fall?”

Having seen success with older adults, he said that he is now interested in applying the method to people of all ages with different balance-related concerns, such as those who have vertigo, have suffered car accidents, or have concussions from sports. 

While the rate of seniors encountering balance issues is far more common in Canada, a 2020 review on traumatic brain injuries found that roughly 10,000 residents experience mild-to-severe head trauma each year, many of which result in impaired balance. 

“We’re at different seniors’ homes, testing their balance, looking at different therapies for their balance,” said Peters. 

“Obviously, that’s the biggest group because we’re all going to get older and we’re all going to have balance problems as we age, but now we’re getting into some other subgroups.”