CONSTRUCTION AND CALIBRATION OF A LOW-COST FORCE PLATE FOR HUMAN BALANCE EVALUATION

Abstract

Force Plates are dynamometers instruments extremely useful in biomechanical evaluations used for gait and balance assessment, also used for jump height measure, for example. There is a shortage in Brazilian market of products with affordable prices and quality resolution for professionals, which makes necessary to develop force plates with lower cost. The scope of this study was to build a low cost force plate, proposed a calibration procedure for stabilometric assessment based in strain gauges. We conclude that the characteristics of the instrument compared to other systems developed and reported in the scientific literature, are within the values found for sensitivity in the state of art of this field of knowledge.