| Institution: | 1. TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology, Human-centered Assistive Robotics, Technical University of Munich, Karlstraße 45, 80333 Munich, Germany;3. TUM Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Human Movement Science, Technical University of Munich, Munich 80992, Germany;4. Institute of Computer Technology, Autonomous Systems, Technische Universität Wien, Vienna 1040, Austria;5. Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics, German Aerospace Center (DLR), 82234 Wessling, Germany;1. Department of Human Movement Science, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa;2. Department of Human Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Movement Sciences and Institute Brain and Behavior Amsterdam (iBBA), The Netherlands;3. Faculty of Sports and Nutrition, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands;1. School of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China;2. Heilongjiang Shooting, Cycling and Archery Sports Management Center, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150049, China;3. School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China;4. School of Sport Communication and Information Technology, Shandong Sport University, Jinan, Shandong, China;5. China Table Tennis College, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China;1. Department of Health and Kinesiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA;2. School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, United Kingdom;3. Department of Sport & Health, Paderborn University, Warburger Str. 100, 33098 Paderborn, Germany;4. Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, Pensacola, FL, USA;1. Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada;2. Music and Health Research Collaboratory (MaHRC), Faculty of Music, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada;1. School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA;2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA;1. Department of Physical Therapy, Graduate School of Health Care, Takasaki University of Health and Welfare, Takasaki, Gunma, Japan;2. Department of Rehabilitation, Kurosawa Hospital, Takasaki, Gunma, Japan;3. IRISSE (EA 4075), Department of Sport Sciences (STAPS), University of la Réunion, Tampon, France |
| Abstract: | The increased risk of falls in the older aged population demands the development of assistive robotic devices capable of effective balance support. For the development and increased user acceptance of such devices, which provide balance support in a human-like way, it is important to understand the simultaneous occurrence of entrainment and sway reduction in human-human interaction. However, sway reduction has not been observed yet during a human touching an external, continuously moving reference, which rather increased human body sway. Therefore, we investigated in 15 healthy young adults (27.20±3.55 years, 6 females) how different simulated sway-responsive interaction partners with different coupling modes affect sway entrainment, sway reduction and relative interpersonal coordination, as well as how these human behaviours differ depending on the individual body schema accuracy. For this, participants were lightly touching a haptic device that either played back an average pre-recorded sway trajectory (“Playback”) or moved based on the sway trajectory simulated by a single-inverted pendulum model with either a positive (Attractor) or negative (Repulsor) coupling to participant's body sway. We found that body sway reduced not only during the Repulsor-interaction, but also during the Playback-interaction. These interactions also showed a relative interpersonal coordination tending more towards an anti-phase relationship, especially the Repulsor. Moreover, the Repulsor led to the strongest sway entrainment. Finally, a better body schema contributed to a reduced body sway in both the “reliable” Repulsor and the “less reliable” Attractor mode. Consequently, a relative interpersonal coordination tending more towards an anti-phase relationship and an accurate body schema are important to facilitate sway reduction. |
