Projects: Tactile vestibular substitution via the tongue (Balance SenSub)

Under construction.

This project demonstrated the feasibility of using vestibular sensory substitution to aid persons with bilateral vestibular dysfunction and other balance disorders.

Experimental results are published:

• M. Tyler, Y. Danilov and P. Bach-y-Rita, "Closing an open-loop control system: Vestibular substitution through the tongue," J. Integrat. Neurosci., vol. 2, pp. 159-164, 2003.
• Y. P. Danilov, M. E. Tyler, K. L. Skinner, R. A. Hogle and P. Bach-y-Rita, "Efficacy of electrotactile vestibular substitution in patents with peripheral and central vestibular loss," J. Vestib. Res., vol. 16, pp. 119-130, 2007.
• Y. P. Danilov, M. E. Tyler and K. A. Kaczmarek, "Vestibular sensory substitution using tongue electrotactile display," in Human Haptic Perception: Basics and Applications, M. Grunwald, Ed. Basel, Switzerland: Birkhauser Verlag, in press.

This technology is being commercialized as the BrainPort™ Balance Device by Wicab, Inc.