Lorenzo Chiari

Project code 2024.1

Tentative title

Design of a closed-loop wearable assistive device to prevent loss of balance

Main objective

Develop and validate an innovative, low-cost, neurally-driven, wearable assistive device (WAD) to prevent loss of balance (LoB), a prodromal sign of an incipient fall, in ecological environments.

Possible reference project

• ReBalance (PRIN 2022)

Keywords

Fall prevention; Wearable assistive device; Perturbation platform

Location

Hybrid: Bologna Campus and remote

*****

Project code 2024.2

Tentative title

Estimation of biomechanical variables relevant to static and dynamic balance through wearables

Main objective

Develop a pipeline to process wearable sensors data and estimate biomechanical variables relevant to balance (e.g., COM displacement, COP, base of support) and validate it through gold-standard measurements.

Possible reference projects

• ReBalance (PRIN 2022)
• LookingGlass-MIAR

Keywords

Balance control; Sensor fusion; Human movement analysis; Fall prevention

Location

Hybrid: Cesena Campus and remote

Co-tutor(s)

Paola Di Florio (paola.diflorio@unibo.it)

*****

Project code 2024.3

Tentative title

Probing the dynamical coupling between heart rate and locomotor activity through a multi-sensor wearable system

Main objective

Explore the dynamical interactions between movement in different body parts, heart rate, and heart rate variability during periods of sleep and wake.

Possible reference projects

• DARE FallsPredict
• DARE FallsPredict-GP

Keywords

Cardiac autonomic control; Physical activity; Sleep; Network physiology; Multi-sensor systems

Location

Hybrid: Bologna or Cesena Campus and remote

Co-tutor(s)

Marcello Sicbaldi (marcello.sicbaldi2@unibo.it)