Chula Engineering lecturer’s innovation “The Balance Assessment Device”—gold medal winner at ITEX 2023, Malaysia, and recipient of World Invention Intellectual Property Associations’ (WIIPA) Special Award (Gold Medal)—checks body balance and balance loss for behavior changes and fall prevention to promote fall risk awareness and knowledge.
Highlights
- Poor balance and ataxia: Invisible illness
- Multiple balance analyses by a single device
- Anyone can assess their balance
- Balance assessment for medical purposes
- Good balance, good health
Standing in public buses, Chatchanee Pakavatsoontorn, an adjunct lecturer in the International School of Engineering (ISE), Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, has found herself losing her balance occasionally.
Chatchanee Pakavatsoontorn
“Is this balance loss normal? How can I solve this to have a better balance?” Chatchanee’s search for the answer to this question has led to her innovation, “The Balance Assessment Device,” which enables everyone to assess their balance simply by stepping onto the device. With support from the Chula Spin-off Club, this innovation has won the gold medal at the 34th International Invention, Innovation & Technology Exhibition (ITEX 2023) in addition to the World Invention Intellectual Property Associations’ (WIIPA) Special Award (Gold Medal) at the same event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The Balance Assessment Device
“This innovation originated from the fact that I found myself frequently losing balance on public buses. Researching to find a solution, I found that a personal balance assessment device didn’t exist. This has led to this innovation which would help us train our body or adjust our behavior.”
Chatchanee aims this for such medical purposes as screening, preliminary health assessment, balance analysis for physical therapy, and exercise planning. Besides, this device can be used for personality training for certain professions.
Continue reading at https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/140421/
