Powered by BalanceMetrix technology, the Balance Mat is an Australian made balance measurement system. It comprises a lightweight nylon mat with an embedded sensor, internal mesh of optical fibre and online score information system. The product works by sensing and recording the continuous postural adjustments of a person standing on the mat: the higher the score, the poorer the person’s balance.
Multiple factors play a role in falls and related injuries, however poor balance is the cause of the majority of falls in older adults.
You can lease or buy a Balance Mat by completing the downloadable form.
There are two types of Balance Mat: the Unimetric (single standing position) model and the Multimetric (multiple standing positions) model. The Unimetric model comes in two sizes – a standard size for in-house use and a smaller portable model for at-home visits.
Enquiries: Ian Bergman, on mob. 0457 123 852 or email ian.bergman@balancemat.com.au
• Novel Australian-made sensor technology
• Breakthrough in balance measurement
• Quick and easy tool for healthcare and fitness practitioners
• Enhancement to traditional balance measurement tools
• Powerful metrics on a variety of parameters
• Option to run on Windows 10 computer or Android device
• Output displayed in real time as graph and score
• Electronic data captured and stored securely through a unique user ID and password
• Online or offline operability
Information about the person’s balance is displayed on a Windows 10 computer or Android device as a dynamic graph and score. The final graph, score, biodata, health status and relevant notes are captured in a score information system for later use.
The Unimetric Balance Mat for falls risk assessment in aged care and hospitals gives a single graph and score.
The Multimetric Balance Mat for health and fitness gives four different graphs and scores from four different standing positions.
The Balance Mat measures static balance by sensing and recording the small postural adjustments a person makes to remain upright in different standing positions.
Maintaining balance involves three primary systems of the human body: the vestibular (equilibrium), somatosensory (proprioception and kinesthesia) and visual (spatial location relative to objects).
A good score on the Balance Mat is zero to 0.6 for the feet side-by-side stance, zero to 1.0 for the semi-tandem stance, zero to 2.0 for the tandem stance, and zero to 2.0 for the one-legged stance. Any scores higher than these ranges are of concern and need to be clinically investigated.
A standard Balance Mat test goes for 60 seconds. This can be shortened at the practitioner’s discretion.
The healthcare or fitness practitioner needs to ensure the person seeks medical advice if appropriate.
At the end of each Balance Mat test or set of tests the practitioner has the option to upload the graph and score to the online score information system along with biodata comprising the name, gender, year of birth, known medical conditions and notes regarding the person whose balance is being tested. The practitioner has access to the data they upload on the SIS via a unique user ID and password.
A sensor inside the mat has an LED and LDR which send and receive light through a mesh of optical fibre. Any deviation in the fibre caused by pressure on the mat surface affects the light signal. A microprocessor in the sensor detects the deviations and sends data to a Windows 10 computer or Android device.
Data is displayed as a dynamic graph and score. These rise and fall in accordance with any movement on the mat. The score measures the variance from the mean. When the person on the mat is not moving the graph flatlines and the score is zero. When the person moves the graph shows peaks and the score rises.
If the movement on the mat suddenly stops the graph will immediately flatline. However, the score will decrease gradually. This is because the graph is measuring instantaneous data points and the score is measuring the variation from the mean (or the progressive sum of the cumulative data points).
Balance Mat data can be used for a range of analytical, diagnostic, therapeutic and comparative purposes including falls prevention, fitness monitoring, progress tracking, physiotherapy, exercise physiology, injury and post-surgery rehabilitation, pre-employment screening and work fitness evaluation.
The Balance Mat invented by Canberra company PSI is one of a range of LED Sensormat™ products. To order your Balance Mat today or discuss our balance measurement consultancy services please call PSI’s Chief Executive Officer Ian Bergman on mob. 0457 123 852 or email ian.bergman@balancemat.com.au
