Embedded System Design for Parkinson’s Disease

• Declan Zevan, Electrical Engineering, University of Delaware

• Richard Martin, Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Delaware

Several studies have shown that a certain Parkinson’s symptom, called “freezing of gait” can be managed by sending specific vibrations to the affected limb. Freezing of gait is an abnormal gait pattern, where the person affected experiences the inability to move their feet forward. This can often make it really hard for people with PD to walk on their own. We are currently working on a device that is worn on the ankle, designed to send specific vibrations when it detects an abnormal gait pattern. The wearer can control it using their phone, and medical professionals can collect data on the gait patterns of their patients from the device. In order to produce these vibrations, the device uses something called a “tactor”. My research centered around characterizing the frequency response of numerous different tactors, in order to find the most affordable tactor that can be used for managing these symptoms. This can allow for a cost-effective way for patients with PD to manage their freezing of gait.