LabVIEW Based WALKING STIMULATOR: A Supportive System for Kids with Physical and Mental disability

[keerthanabuddha]

PADMASRI DR B.V.RAJU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY,NARSAPUR,MEDAK,ANDHRA PRADESH

Team Members:

Shaik Farooq

M.Divya sree

K.Amrusha

B.Keerthana

Md.Farhan

Project vision:

                                'Every Product is the result of a Problem'

            In general, people know how to use their legs for walking and for other daily activities. But in the real world there are also people, especially kids (even of 6yrs) who face problem with walking. As it is said “we never know the worth of water till the well is dry” in the similar way people who face this walking disability in their early stages ignore this problem which may lead to permanent impairment in their legs. This problem is mainly observed in kids with weak muscle condition (muscular dystrophy), lack of stimulus to brain (weak motor skills), who find it very difficult to walk. This disability in children can be detected in early stages and once detected the child has to be motivated to walk so that he can improve his motor skills and if not addressed properly it leads to walking impairment. This problem can be usually observed in every physiotherapy department at many organisations. A program (exercise) of regular, little exercise can help them to keep their leg muscles in good condition.

            The normal treatment which the doctors give to aid these specially challenged kids is to make them walk with the support of parallel bars. But the problem arises when the kid doesn’t move forward; it can be due to their fear of falling or because of lack of stimulus to brain which is especially observed in mentally challenged kids. Some kids may not be able to do their exercise even when taken lot of care by their parents. So there is a need to design an interactive tool that can attract and can stimulate the kid to move forward. Thus improving the muscle condition of the disabled children and making them to learn how to walk.

SOLUTION:

                                 Using engineering techniques we can make the kid to learn this walking exercise more easily. This technique includes the methods which can attract kids & can create an interest and enthusiasm in them to move forward. Some of these methods which can stimulate the kids to move forward are achieved by using attractive lights, flash bulbs & music such as ape sounds etc.

  Example: Whenever a kid is ready to start his exercise and puts his first step forward and immediately lights starts glowing, and for the second step he put on, music starts playing. This can be achieved by dividing the platform on which the kid walks into different ranges, such that for a particular range there will be a unique output. Based upon the mindset of the kids these special outputs are varied and are automated using LABVIEW.

ADVANTAGES AND LIMITATIONS:

• Helps physically and mentally challenged kids to improve their motor (walking) skills.
• The equipment we use doesn’t have harmful effect on the kid either physically or mentally.
• To bring joy and maximise subject’s quality of life, by making the system fun to use by incorporating fancy lights, music make look more like a game.
• The lights and music we use have great impact in stimulating kid’s brain.
• This is applicable for kids belonging to age group of 2-7years only.

CONCLUSION:

            Normally, whenever this specially abled kid does his/her walking exercise they will not show much interest to move forward due to the lack of stimulus or because of fear. So they will not complete their walking exercise which may lead to permanent blockage of muscle in future. This exercise can be done easily with the help of Walking Stimulator which can stimulate the kids to move forward with eagerness in finding out the next output.

             This exercise using Walking Stimulator can also become their favourite exercise because of which they learn walking at a faster rate. This can improve their motion skill in a better way when compared with that of already existing solution i.e. walking only by holding the parallel bars. In this way LABVIEW can be used for treatment of young kids with physical and mental disabilities who have problem in learning their walking exercise. Thus LABVIEW makes them to learn their walking exercise in a better way. This system can be installed in physiotherapy homes. It will be fun, learning and exercise for the children.