Researchers at the University of British Columbia have developed a robotic system that allows scientists to examine how the brain maintains balance by altering the physical forces a person experiences while standing. The study, conducted with collaborators at Erasmus Medical Clinic and published in Science Robotics, indicates that the brain responds to delays in sensory feedback in a manner similar to how it adapts to changes in body mechanics.
The system places participants on force plates connected to a motorized backboard that can adjust variables such as inertia and viscosity in real time. It can also introduce short delays in movement response to simulate slower neural feedback. According to the researchers, these manipulations enable controlled testing of how the brain compensates for altered physical conditions without directly affecting nerve function.
Across three experiments involving 30 participants, the team found that introducing delays caused substantial instability. Adjusting mechanical properties, such as lowering inertia or applying negative viscosity, produced comparable effects. In a subsequent experiment with new participants, increasing inertia and viscosity helped counteract instability caused by delayed feedback, reducing sway measurements.
The researchers state that the findings may inform the development of technologies aimed at reducing fall risk among older adults, whose balance can be affected by age-related changes in neural feedback. Potential applications include wearable devices that modify mechanical resistance during movement or rehabilitation systems that train individuals to adapt to slower sensory processing. The robotic platform will be used in future work at UBC’s Gateway health building and associated research centres.
The project was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the UBC School of Kinesiology Equipment and Research Accelerator Fund.
Photo credit: Sachi Wickramasinghe/UBC Media Relations
