VIPR- Vibration Induced Parkinson’s Relief
Anushka Sridhar
Anushka Sridhar, IB Worlds School, Plano Independent School District, Plano Texas, USA.
Manuscript received on 02 January 2023 | Revised Manuscript received on 05 January 2023 | Manuscript Accepted on 15 January 2023 | Manuscript published on 30 January 2023 | PP: 1-7 | Volume-11 Issue-3, February 2023 | Retrieval Number: 100.1/ijese.C25440211323 | DOI: 10.35940/ijese.C2544.0211323
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© The Authors. Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open access article under the CC-BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Abstract: This paper describes VIPR, an inexpensive tremor detection and mitigation device to help Parkinson’s patients. It is built using a Raspberry Pi, an accelerometer, power switches, and a wristband with rows of coin motors, along with Python code. More than 10 million people worldwide have visible symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. There is no known cure for the disease, and the annual cost for treatment is estimated to be > $50 50Billion. Whole-body vibration therapy has been widely researched, but it is expensive and not readily available. This device fits around a patient’s wrist. It uses an accelerometer to detect the onset of tremors, activating the vibrating coin motors in the wristband at varying intensities depending on the severity of the tremor. The data is continuously logged and sent to a caregiver via a smartphone connection. The accelerometer in the device measures changes in acceleration in the X, Y, and Z directions every 0.2 seconds. The data is then compared to a threshold value to determine if the movement is a tremor or not. Once it’s established that it’s a tremor, a relay switch turns on the coin motors on the wrist. Data were collected on Parkinson’s patients to develop the efficacy of the vibrating wristband and its threshold. The band was found to effectively improve the motor response of the patients while performing simple tasks such as writing and moving objects. This inexpensive device was found to be effective and can be used to enhance the quality of life for patients with Parkinson’s disease.
Keywords: Raspberry Pi, Accelerometer, Tremor Mitigation, Python.
Scope of the Article: Bio-science and Bio-technology