ABOUT THIS SOFTWARE
The Nintendo Wii Balance Board (NWBB) is a VERY low cost force platform - and one that we and many others have found performs remarkably well for assessing a variety of aspects of physical function. This includes measuring postural sway, strength and weight bearing asymmetry. A real benefit of the NWBB is ease of use and integration into software. Once you have connected and disconnected them a couple of times it becomes second nature, and setting up a data collection session can take less than a minute. Additionally, it is possible to use 2+ boards on the same computer to assess multiple people at once or assess each limb independently.
The Nintendo Wii Balance Board (NWBB) is a VERY low cost force platform - and one that we and many others have found performs remarkably well for assessing a variety of aspects of physical function. This includes measuring postural sway, strength and weight bearing asymmetry. A real benefit of the NWBB is ease of use and integration into software. Once you have connected and disconnected them a couple of times it becomes second nature, and setting up a data collection session can take less than a minute. Additionally, it is possible to use 2+ boards on the same computer to assess multiple people at once or assess each limb independently.
HOW DOES THE BALANCE BOARD WORK?
Here's a great video of the technical components inside a NWBB
Here's a great video of the technical components inside a NWBB
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
I cannot guarantee that the NWBB will work with all computers, however I have had no issues with any Windows 7 or 8 computer as long as it meets the criteria mentioned below:
- Windows, or a Windows emulator if running on a Mac.
Windows 7 and 8 provide the most stable connections, the process is different yet simple on both operating systems. Windows XP is more about luck, with roughly half of the computers I've seen connecting very easily while the other half either don't work or are a nightmare to setup. If you are using a Tablet it must have the full version of Windows, not Windows RT which definitely will not work.
- Bluetooth either internal or via a USB dongle.
Almost all laptops made in the last 5 years and full-version Windows Tablets have this internally, otherwise you can purchase the dongle from most computer stores.
THE PROGRAMS
On this page you can find links to some of the software that we either use for research or is a simplified example. Clicking the image will take you to the page for that program, where you can find a how-to guide and instructions on its use. If you don't have a NWBB gathering dust under your coffee table they aren't as easy to find brand new in stores anymore, but they are still available for purchase online. They are also very durable, and there are often hundreds of second hand units for sale on sites like Ebay and Gumtree for very low prices.
I cannot guarantee that the NWBB will work with all computers, however I have had no issues with any Windows 7 or 8 computer as long as it meets the criteria mentioned below:
- Windows, or a Windows emulator if running on a Mac.
Windows 7 and 8 provide the most stable connections, the process is different yet simple on both operating systems. Windows XP is more about luck, with roughly half of the computers I've seen connecting very easily while the other half either don't work or are a nightmare to setup. If you are using a Tablet it must have the full version of Windows, not Windows RT which definitely will not work.
- Bluetooth either internal or via a USB dongle.
Almost all laptops made in the last 5 years and full-version Windows Tablets have this internally, otherwise you can purchase the dongle from most computer stores.
THE PROGRAMS
On this page you can find links to some of the software that we either use for research or is a simplified example. Clicking the image will take you to the page for that program, where you can find a how-to guide and instructions on its use. If you don't have a NWBB gathering dust under your coffee table they aren't as easy to find brand new in stores anymore, but they are still available for purchase online. They are also very durable, and there are often hundreds of second hand units for sale on sites like Ebay and Gumtree for very low prices.
Centre of pressure sway assessment
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Peak force and rate of force development assessment
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