Re: ENSC 440 Project Proposal for an Sensory Balance Assistance Device

Transcription

1 School of Engineering Science Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6 January 23, 2006 Dr. Andrew Rawicz Simon Fraser University Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6 Re: ENSC 440 Project Proposal for an Sensory Balance Assistance Device Dear Dr. Rawicz: The attached document, outlines our capstone project for ENSC 440. The proposal provides an eye-bird view of our expected product, design considerations and approach, a tentative budget and funding source, and an overview of our schedule and organization as well as our company s structure. NewBalance s team consists of Siavosh Jalili, Sakshi Nagalia, Atefeh Palizban, and Jerry Yu, each of whom bring their own unique and valuable expertise and experiences to our team. If you have any questions or concerns regarding our proposal please do not hesitate to contact me by phone at or by at ensc440-newbalance@sfu.ca. Sincerely, Atefeh Palizban President and CEO Enclosure:

2 Proposal for a Sensory Balance Assistance Device Project Team: Siavosh Jalili Sakshi Nagalia Atefeh Palizban Yang (Jerry) Yu Contact Person: Siavosh Jalili ensc440-newbalance@sfu.ca Submitted to: Dr. Andrew Rawicz ENSC 440 Steve Whitmore ENSC 305 School of Engineering Science Simon Fraser University Issued date: January 23, 2006 Revision: 1.0 ii

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES... iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY... iv GLOSSARY... v 1. INTRODUCTION SYSTEM OVERVIEW PROPOSED DESIGN SOLUTION SOURCES OF INFORMATION BUDGET AND FUNDING TENTATIVE BUDGET FUNDING SOURCES SCHEDULE COMPANY S MISSION STATEMENT TEAM ORGANIZATION COMPANY PROFILE CONCLUSION REFERENCES ii

4 LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES FIGURE 1: THE BLOCK DIAGRAM OF THE SENSORY BALANCE ASSISTANCE SYSTEM... 2 FIGURE 2: APPLICATION OF EQUILIBRA... 3 FIGURE 3: THE GANTT CHART FOR EQUILIBRA PROJECT... 8 FIGURE 4: MILESTONES FOR EQUILIBRA PROJECT... 8 TABLE 1: R&D BUDGET... 7 iii

5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Most of us take standing on our feet, walking without any predicament, a stretch after hours of work behind a desk or a computer, a dance move, bending to pick up what we have dropped, and many more ordinary acts for granted. These ostensibly simple daily tasks and movements are made possible by a rather complicated system of balance governed by coordination between our eyes, inner ear, brain, and muscles. In as many as 200,000 Canadians and 2 million Americans, this coordination is weak, delayed or nonexistent. Aging, accidents, and ailments such as Parkinson s, Menier s disease and Labyrinthitis damage the inner ear, and consequently result in balance disorders. One problem associated with balance disorder is involuntary inclination to the left, right, back, or front. Inability of the inner ear to act quickly in informing the brain of the position of the body in a timely manner would result in a fall and possible fracture of bones an injury that could prove deadly for the elderly, in particular those suffering from osteoporosis. Medical studies show that a 50-year-old woman has a similar lifetime risk of dying from a hip fracture as from breast cancer. In this document, proposes a portable device, called Equilibra, to assist people prone to falling as a result of balance disorders. The device, which is attached to the belt, would send auditory and vibratory signals when the individual leans in any of four directions. The more the individual leans, and the more they are outside their centre of mass, the louder or stronger the signal becomes. This would help the individual to correct his/her posture and thus prevent a potential fall. consists of four enthusiastic Engineering Science students in their fourth year, with experiences in analog/digital circuit design, wireless, and signal processing. The team members software skills include experience with assembly programming used in association with microprocessors and microcontrollers. Three of the group members were part of the team that won the first prize in Ken Spencer s Venture Competition back in 2003 by demonstrating their ability to present a useful, socially sensitive device and successfully marketing and business planning for the product. expects the project timeline to span a 13-week period beginning in January, with mid April 2006 as the scheduled completion date for an operational prototype. The entire project is tentatively budgeted at $850.00, and the funding is to be obtained from a variety of sources. iv

6 GLOSSARY Balance: Control movements of the center of mass relative to stability limits in order to maintain equilibrium. BlueTooth: Bluetooth is a computing and telecommunications industry specification that describes how mobile phones, computers and PDAs can easily interconnect with each other and with home and business phones and computers using a short wireless connection. Center of Mass: Point at which object pivots in equilibrium. EEPROM: EEPROM stands for Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory Equilibrium: State of balance. Condition in which contending forces are equal. Labyrinthitis: Inflammation of labyrinth. Symptoms consist of vertigo, vomiting and/or nystagmus. Meniere's Disease: A disorder of the inner ear that causes episodes of vertigo, Tinnitus, (a feeling of fullness or pressure in the ear) and fluctuating hearing loss. Nystagamus: Involuntary, alternating rapid and slow movements of the eyeballs. Parkinson s Disease: A progressive neurodegenerative disease which involves the loss of cells in a part of the brain responsible for producing a chemical called Dopamine. Dopamine acts as the messenger between the brain cells that control movement. SPI: SPI stands for Serial Peripheral Interface. v

7 1. INTRODUCTION Balance is our true sixth sense is the description often used by experts and scientists to emphasize the importance of balance and equilibrium. Like our other five sense organs, the vestibular semicircular canals of the inner ear our balance sense organ can also incur damage. Some estimates show that out of every 100,000 people, more than 200 are living with Menier s disease which causes vertigo and balance disorder. Moreover, every year, 347,000 hospital days are incurred in the United States as a result of vertiginous and balance disorders causing injurious consequences such as broken bones. In addition to the financial cost incurred, the negative impact of such disorders on the quality of the life of those afflicted is also significant. According to the Vestibular Disorders Organization based in the United States, one third of people over the age of 75 years believe that dizziness and imbalance has degraded the quality of their lives. Given the scale and extent of balance disorders, various solutions and designs have been offered or developed to address this issue. Key examples of these solutions include the popular 4-wheeled walker and the vestibular rehabilitation therapy. Although useful to some extent, each of these solutions has its own limitations, underlining the need for a more effective solution. The goal of this project is to build such a device which will be an alternate solution that helps people maintain their balance and carry out their day to day activities with greater ease. will call their new product Equilibra, an appropriate name, indicating that the device will help maintain balance. Equilibra will be worn on a belt around the waist with attached earphones. Using Equilibra, a person will receive auditory and vibratory signals of his/her position. Different signals will be associated with leaning in different directions. People would be able to identify which direction they are leaning in and correct their posture depending on the type of tone heard. For individuals with hearing disabilities, vibratory signal will also be provided. Through the development of Equilibra, aims to help and prevent people with balance disorders from falling, thus improving their quality of life. In the remainder of this proposal, we present the result of our research, outlining the details of our product, other design solutions, the tentative budget, and the sources of funding for the project. An overview of our company s organization, its team members, allocation of tasks, and the project s schedule outlining critical milestones and dates is also provided. 1

8 2. SYSTEM OVERVIEW The system structure of the Sensory Balance Assistance Device is shown in Figure 1. Figure 1: The Block Diagram of the Sensory Balance Assistance System. The inclination and acceleration sensors measure the dual-axis acceleration and the inclination angle of each movement that the users make. The measurements in digital data format can be accessed by the microcontroller using an SPI. The embedded program and system configuration is programmed in the system Flash and EEPROM. Based on the measured data, the embedded program will make decisions and assist the user through audio and sensing expressions. A belt with vibrator matrices and an earpiece is designed for the user, enabling him/her to feel and hear the different balancing status queues. Furthermore, in order to record the user s positioning data over a specific time period, a Smart Card interface is attached onto the device. Users have the capability of saving and retrieving their posture positioning data in an SD card for further diagnose and consultation of a doctor. The battery of the device is rechargeable through either USB port or an AC adapter. The friendly user interface enables the user to control and adjust the system features through a keypad matrix and a volume switch. As an optional feature, a Bluetooth interface is designed on the device. Users can utilize Bluetooth earpiece and Bluetooth vibrators along with the device. 2

9 Figure 2 below shows an example of the application of Equilibra, the Sensory Balance Assistance Device in preventing a potential fall due to loss of balance. Different components of the device along with their location are also illustrated. Belt with vibrators and the balance sensor Earphones/ Auditory indicator Vibratory signal indicating dangerous posture Auditory signal indicating dangerous posture 1. A person suffering from balance disorder using Equilibra. While walking with correct posture, no auditory or vibratory signal is sent. 2. Equilibra sends an auditory signal through the earphones and a vibratory signal through the belt, to warn the person of his/her incorrect posture. 3. With the help of Equilibra, the person corrects his/her posture, thus preventing a potential hazardous fall. Figure 2: Application of Equilibra 3

10 3. POSSIBLE DESIGN SOLUTIONS Currently, there are a few solutions in the market which aim at addressing this problem of balance disorders faced by many people. Although, these solutions do assist people in maintaining balance, they do have limitations, which make them useful to only a certain group of people affected. Some of these solutions are listed below. 4-Wheeled Walker The 4-Wheeled walker is commonly used by many people who suffer from balance disorders. Even though, it is effective in preventing people from falling, its main drawback is that it is inconvenient while using buses, trains and does not allow people to use the stairs. Another disadvantage of this solution is that younger people with balance disorders are conscious about being seen with a walker, which limits the walker market to just the elderly in the society. I-Pod Like Balancing Device This device, which has been developed by the Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University's Neurological Sciences Institute and the University of Bologna, sends sound queues to the patient informing them of their current hazardous position. Since most people suffering from balance disorder are the elderly who might have hearing weaknesses or defects, a sound indicator by itself will not prove helpful in such situations. This device is currently in development stage and is not available in the market. Vestibular Rehabilitation Vestibular Rehabilitation therapy comprises of a set of exercises that combine various specific head and body movements with eye exercises. It helps people improve balance if the exercises are correctly and faithfully performed for a significantly long period of time. On the downside, sometimes these exercises can result in headache, neck-ache, muscle stiffness, general fatigue, hence making the patient uncomfortable. In addition, this therapy is not widely available. 4

11 4. PROPOSED DESIGN SOLUTION Most solutions for balance disorders discussed in the previous section are lacking in one or more aspects. Our proposed solution is to build a portable device that can be worn on a belt around the waist and will comprise of the main balance sensing unit, vibrators and earphones to send a signal to the user, making them aware of their potentially hazardous position. This device, Equilibra, will be convenient and effective to use and usable by anyone suffering from balance disorder. While designing Equilibra, we took into consideration all the different activities which require maintaining proper balance and came up with a design that addresses most of these problems. The device is designed to be small and portable, making it quick and easy to use by everyone. Both auditory and vibratory signals are used to inform the patient of his/her position, since a significant number of elderly people have both hearing and balancing disabilities. To further assist the people suffering from balance disorders, the volume for the audio signals can be set by the user. In addition, Equilibra could also prove to be useful for people practicing sports such as snow boarding, in which maintaining balance is of prime importance. Different sounds are associated with different positions. Since the tone intensity changes as an individual leans further in any direction, it gives the user the means of assessing the amount of their posture disposition from a safe status. This feature also helps people correct their posture at an early stage, thus preventing them from loosing their balance and falling. The main constraint that we are faced with for the implementation of this project is the limited time and funding. We have a 13 week period to complete the project and produce a prototype for Equilibra. With these limited resources, we will focus our research to design Equilibra as a simple prototype while using low cost components. This will be helpful in keeping the product cost low, hence making it affordable and more marketable. Our goal is to implement all the features of Equilibra and to develop a functional and effective prototype by the end of this 13 week period. However, with more time and resources, we could add more features to it and conduct extensive testing to correct any flaws discovered in the device. 5

12 5. SOURCES OF INFORMATION Information required for completion of the project will be gathered from different sources such as the internet, contacts at hospitals and medical institutions in Canada and the U.S., professors at the School of Engineering Science, and individuals suffering from balance disorders. We continue to use the internet to find websites, and contact information for the institutions and organizations involved in research and development in the field of balance disorders, and/or support for people who are suffering from such ailments. Muriel Kauffman of Balance and Dizziness Disorders Society based in Vancouver, BC has been a valuable source of contact with people who are suffering from balance disorders. Moreover, the American Institute of Balance is a resourceful foundation whose website and staff will be accessed and contacted for their feedback throughout the development process of the prototype. In addition, we will be enlisting the help of Dr. Bozena Kaminska from the School of Engineering Science at Simon Fraser University, should we need general or specific direction, as she kindly agreed to share with us her knowledge and experience in the biomedical field. Lastly, we will be using a variety of technical and medical literature and publications to familiarize ourselves with different aspects of the disorder and to address various encountered technical problems. 6

13 6. BUDGET AND FUNDING 6.1 Tentative Budget Table 6.1 outlines the R&D budget for this project. The budget chiefly covers the equipment and components that will be needed for the development of the product we have proposed. To compensate for unforeseeable expenses such as damage to the electronic devices, loss, unexpected design complications etc., we have allocated a contingency expense equivalent to 15% of the total estimated cost of the project. Table 1: R&D Budget COMPONENT NAME ESTIMATED COST Development Board Kits $ IC Components $ PCB Printing $50.00 Modeling $40.00 Equipments and Tools $30.00 Accessorise $20.00 Subtotal $ Contingency Fund (15%) $ TOTAL COST $ The estimated unit cost for the Sensory Balance Assistance device is approximately $ The unit cost may possibly decrease depending on the quantity of production. There is an additional cost of $40.00 associated with upgrading the product to include wireless Bluetooth capabilities. This optional feature enables users to choose to utilize a wireless earpiece at their preference. 6.2 Funding Sources Our primary source of funding will be the Engineering Science Student Endowment Fund (ESSEF). Another source of funding being considered is the Wighton Engineering Development Fund. By using this document and other technical resources, we will submit applications for each of the fore mentioned funding. At least one of our group members has allocated a certain amount of money (from previous coop earnings) in case of cost overruns or unforeseeable expenses. The experience of one of the team members in capital planning will help us govern the finances associated with the project in a responsible and conservative manner, while ensuring that no reasonable initiative or approach is compromised due to financial restrictions. 7

14 7. SCHEDULE Figure 3 shows the Gantt chart of time allocated to each phase of the Equilibra project. Figure 3: The Gantt Chart for Equilibra Project Figure 4 presents the milestone for our project. The dates indicated on the milestone chart are expected completion date of each task. Figure 4: Milestones for Equilibra Project 8

15 8. COMPANY S MISSION STATEMENT. Our mission statement states the following: New Balance Technologies is committed to use all the expertise, knowledge, resources, and experiences available at its disposal to enhance the quality of life of and the health care services delivered to people who suffer from balance diseases, disabilities, and disorders. We are dedicated to extend the appreciation of Engineering by demonstrating the benefits this discipline could deliver to the society. The company combines ambition, ethics and venture to fuel its engine. Our team will make its debut on the competitive technology and biomedical front by introducing, to the market, a product that will assist people with balance disorder to be notified prior to losing their balance. 9

16 9. TEAM ORGANIZATION Four enthusiastic, hardworking, and talented students constitute the NewBalance Technologies (NBT) team. Diversity of backgrounds and experiences of team members will assist us in finding creative and unique approaches to the challenges and problems we are facing. Most of us have previously worked together in lab or project groups for other courses. Being familiar and comfortable with one another facilitates expressing ideas and dissent, and assists in resolving conflicts. In addition, we recognize our strengths and weaknesses, and will use this knowledge in allocating responsibilities such that every individual takes charge of tasks in which he or she can excel. Armed with our previous shared and individual experiences, and based on our collective assessment of our abilities, we have organized our corporate structure as stated below. Atefeh Palizban is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NBT. She will be responsible for making executive decision and ensuring timely completion of the tasks as outlined in our schedule. Atefeh is, in addition, responsible to make sure the team adheres to the vision and values of NBT at each and every stage. Sakshi Nagalia as the team s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is in charge of budgeting as well as keeping track of and overlooking the expenses. Siavoh Jalili is NBT s VP Business Planning and Strategy. His responsibilities include helping the CEO devise plans and develop strategies facilitating the progress of the company to a bright and thriving future. In addition, he is responsible for hardware design. Jerry Yu as our VP Operations will oversee the various aspect of the product s design, and will be offering design solutions and modification as we progress towards completion of the project. Given the scale of the project and the tight deadlines we are facing, we will be sharing responsibilities and delegating work on regular basis, thereby ascertaining a fair and balanced allocation of duties. To ensure timely completion of project and to avoid work cluster at the end of the semester, our group shall have at least one meeting per week. Regular contact through and messenger applications will also be maintained. While our goal is to run succinct and efficient meetings by adhering closely to a prepared meeting agenda, all group members shall have the opportunity (and in fact will be encouraged) to contribute, present ideas, and propose various solution strategies. We are ready to take on the challenge to strike a balance between effectiveness and refraining from suppressing the free flow of ideas during our meetings. 10

17 10. COMPANY PROFILE Atefeh Palizban (Chief Executive Officer and President) Atefeh is a fourth year Electronics Engineering student at Simon Fraser University. She has co-op experience working in BC Hydro where she gained extensive experience in conducting data analysis and business case studies to identify the best and most cost effective solution. She has a great interest in the field of Biomedical Engineering and providing useful solutions that help make everyday living easier and more manageable. Atefeh is competent in electronic circuit design and implementation and is familiar with wireless communication protocols. On the creative side, Atefeh enjoys utilizing Computer Aided Design software such as Auto CAD and SolidWorks to create various design models. Atefeh s organizational and communication skills are valuable assets to the company and will lead in achieving its goals. Siavosh Jalili (VP Business Planning and Strategy) Siavosh is a fourth year Electronics Engineering student, with previous co-op experiences encompassing hardware (circuit) design, procedure and policy drafting, work on capital planning, and some programming with microprocessors Assembly language. Siavosh has great teamwork and organization skills gained through his involvement in community and volunteer activities. His strategy development and Business Planning skills played a key role in securing his group the first prize in Ken Spencer Business/Engineering Venture Plan Competition. Sakshi Nagalia (Chief Financial Officer) Sakshi is a fourth year Electronics Engineering student at Simon Fraser University. Her co-op experience working with Microplex Systems Ltd. and Research In Motion Ltd. has allowed her to gain expertise in the areas of embedded programming and wireless communication. She has experience with analog and digital circuit design. Sakshi is also an active member of many student clubs on campus and has had experience managing fundraising activities and the club finances. With her experience and interest in the financial world, Sakshi will be able to act effectively in all matters associated with the finances of. Jerry Yu (VP Operations) Jerry is a fourth year Electronics Engineering student at Simon Fraser University. Throughout his course of study, projects and co-op experience, he has developed a keen interest and a strong knowledge in the field of hardware design and embedded system design and programming. He previously worked in Ericsson Co. Ltd as an assistant R&D engineer. He has participated in the R&D of Remote Arrhythmia Monitoring Terminal project at Ericsson and GPS Vehicle Tracker project for the Ministry of Public Security of China. Through his engineering courses and work experience, Jerry has not only learned to approach problems analytically and individually, but has also developed and demonstrated strong interpersonal skills from working closely within a team. 11

18 11. CONCLUSION vision is to deliver a portable and convenient device that would effectively help people with balance disorder from falling and incurring injuries. In addition, amateur and professional athletes who are active in such field as snowboarding, skiing, surfing, diving, and gymnastics can make use of this device, during their trainings, to ensure they are maintaining the balance required to achieve optimal results in competitions. Equilibra will prove effective in minimizing the cost of health care incurred by both individuals and the government. People utilizing this device will experience a higher degree of comfort and security while engaged in their day to day activities. By taking advantage of Equilibra s practical features, one can enjoy a better quality of life. We have carefully prepared a Research and Development budget as well as a production cost estimation. Our group has committed to following the schedule as outlined in the Gantt and Milestones charts, thus confirming our ability to complete this project in a timely manner. Allocation of tasks in our team is based on expertise and experiences of each member ensuring higher productivity, and positive group dynamics. Our company s structure, combined with our zest, inspiration and commitment will lead us to the realization of our vision. 12

19 12. REFERENCES 1. American Institute of Balance: 2. Vestibular Disorders Association: 3. Balance and Disorder Society-Vancouver, BC: 4. Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation 2005: 5. Parkinson Society Canada: 6. Digi-Key Corporation: 13