Evolução de um sistema embarcado de estimulação galvânica aplicado à técnica terapêutica para aliviar sintomas de desequilíbrio no corpo humano

Abstract

Motion sickness is a common physiological condition that occurs when the brain receives contradictory signals from different sensory systems, such as the vestibular system (located in the inner ear) and the eyes. These inconsistencies between movement and balance signals lead to symptoms such as nausea, dizziness and discomfort. EVG is a therapeutic technique that uses electrical stimulation to assist in the rehabilitation process. EVG has been shown to be effective not only in relieving the symptoms of motion sickness, but also in improving the mood, quality of life and cognitive abilities of patients with balance disorders and diseases such as Parkinson’s. The aim of this paper is to present advances in the development of an EVG module, improving the device to make it more efficient and practical for everyday use. The research included studying previous versions of the device and implementing new technological solutions. A central aspect of this stage of development was the use of the M5Core2 IoT board, equipped with the ESP32 microcontroller, which offers great versatility for diverse applications, especially in the health area. In addition, control software was developed, programmed using the Arduino platform and specific libraries from the IoT board, which enables efficient management of the device’s interface and functions. The new module, now more autonomous and easier to integrate into patients’ routines, aims to increase users’ independence by minimizing the effects of motion sickness and other balance disorders. Among the advances, we highlight the improvement in battery life and the future proposal to include Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing the device to have greater usability and independence. The tests carried out, both by simulation and on individuals, have shown promising results, consolidating this new version as a significant contribution over previous models.