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Here is the summary of emails I got, concerning my question on the pos
and cons buying a Bertec plate.
Thank you very much,
Peter Böttcher.
************************************************** **
I saw your inquiry in the list Biomch-L Bertec about our force plates,
and I wanted to give you firsthand information about them. Bertec
recently changed its whole force plate technology and converted all its
product line to digital products. The signal from the force transducers
in the force plates are converted to digital immediately in the force
plate. Therefore, the signal transmitted over long distances outside the
force plate is not susceptible to noise degradation. Unlike other force
plate brands, the full calibration matrix is digitally stored in the
force plate so that you don't have to deal with calibration matrices
anymore. Moreover, this technology allows you to connect the force plate
(using the AM6500 module) directly to the USB port of the computer and
collect data without using additional A/D converter cards.
Alternatively, you can also use a AM6501 module to convert the force
plate output to analog and collect data using conventional techniques
with A/D converter cards. Our dual output AM6800 module incorporates the
digital and analog technologies together. With this module you have both
USB and analog outputs. Furthermore, AM6800 gives you the capability of
using 7 user selectable gains for data acquisition. The AM6500 and
AM6800 modules come with a free data collection software (data
collection only, no analysis), which uses the USB output of the force plate.
As you mentioned in your mail, this new technology also allows us to
keep the cost of our products lower than our competitors. Attached is a
pdf file which summarizes our our new technology and products. If you
have any further questions, I will be happy to answer them.
Best regards,
Cenk Guler.
H. Cenk Guler, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
Bertec Corporation
6185 Huntley Road, Suite B
Columbus, OH 43229
Phone : 614 430-5421 Ext. 223
Fax : 614 430-5425
E-mail : cenk@bertec.com
www.bertec.com
************************************************** **
As far as I know, Bertec force places have no disadvantage to the other
force places. We have compared a Bertec plate to Kistler plates and
found that Kistler plates had significant errors in measured center of
pressure and needed complicated calibration to correct those errors,
while Bertec plate's errors in the same measure were much much smaller
and could be negligble. I highly recommend you to buy Bertec plates.
Bing Yu, PhD
Associate Professor, Director
Center for Human Movement Science
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
************************************************** **
From a former AMTI and Bertec user, I wouldn't hesitate to go with AMTI,
regardless of price.
My thoughts on Bertec...
Cheap amplifiers, lack of software, below average support, high system
noise.
Just one person's thoughts though...
************************************************** **
Just my two cents for support of what others seem to have answered you-
I have bought two plates from Bertec and have been extremely satisfied
with them- great service too. They have also custom built load cells for
me. I think they are a great company.
Julianne Abendroth-Smith, Ed.D.
Dept. of Exercise Science
Willamette University
Salem OR USA
************************************************** **
In our labs here we have several Bertec forceplates in use. They
function excellently and have caused not a single trouble over the
last 6 years. Our use is in part clinical and in part fundamental
research with inverse dynamics.
1) Our initial purchase was based on an analysis by Jaap Harlaar
(j.harlaar@azvu.nl) in which he concluded that for inverse dynamics
the precision of the force measurements is less relevant than the
precision of the determination of the centre of pressure. In the latter
aspect AMTI, Bertec and Kistler all report a precision of about 1
mm.
2) AMTI and Bertec, both strain gauge types, have closely
comparable specifications: forces ± 1 N , CoP ± 1 mm.
3) AMTI needs on most floors a mounting plate, which is quite
costly.
4) Kistler, uses piezoelectric force measurement. With this method
very small forces or force changes can be measured. This may
make K preferable for stabilometric research.
5) The same piezoelectic force measurement makes that the force
zero drifts. Kistler has now amplifiers that reduce this effect very
much, but you always need a zero measurement immediately
before the actual measurement. This may be a disadvantage in
measurements in which the subject stand for longer periods on the
plate, e.g. for the same stabilometry as 4) ......
6) When you have to measure cats and dogs, the 1 N force
resolution of A and B may be not sufficient, and you may need a K.
I hope this will help you,
At Hof
At Hof
Institute of Human Movement Science
University of Groningen
PO Box 196
9700 AD Groningen
The Netherlands
Tel: (31) 50 363 2645
************************************************** **
--
Dr. Peter Böttcher
Klinik für Kleintiere
Universität Leipzig
An den Tierkliniken 23
D-04103 Leipzig
------ GERMANY -----
Tel: #49-341-9738700
Fax: #49-341-9738799
boettcher@kleintierklinik.uni-leipzig.de
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and cons buying a Bertec plate.
Thank you very much,
Peter Böttcher.
************************************************** **
I saw your inquiry in the list Biomch-L Bertec about our force plates,
and I wanted to give you firsthand information about them. Bertec
recently changed its whole force plate technology and converted all its
product line to digital products. The signal from the force transducers
in the force plates are converted to digital immediately in the force
plate. Therefore, the signal transmitted over long distances outside the
force plate is not susceptible to noise degradation. Unlike other force
plate brands, the full calibration matrix is digitally stored in the
force plate so that you don't have to deal with calibration matrices
anymore. Moreover, this technology allows you to connect the force plate
(using the AM6500 module) directly to the USB port of the computer and
collect data without using additional A/D converter cards.
Alternatively, you can also use a AM6501 module to convert the force
plate output to analog and collect data using conventional techniques
with A/D converter cards. Our dual output AM6800 module incorporates the
digital and analog technologies together. With this module you have both
USB and analog outputs. Furthermore, AM6800 gives you the capability of
using 7 user selectable gains for data acquisition. The AM6500 and
AM6800 modules come with a free data collection software (data
collection only, no analysis), which uses the USB output of the force plate.
As you mentioned in your mail, this new technology also allows us to
keep the cost of our products lower than our competitors. Attached is a
pdf file which summarizes our our new technology and products. If you
have any further questions, I will be happy to answer them.
Best regards,
Cenk Guler.
H. Cenk Guler, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
Bertec Corporation
6185 Huntley Road, Suite B
Columbus, OH 43229
Phone : 614 430-5421 Ext. 223
Fax : 614 430-5425
E-mail : cenk@bertec.com
www.bertec.com
************************************************** **
As far as I know, Bertec force places have no disadvantage to the other
force places. We have compared a Bertec plate to Kistler plates and
found that Kistler plates had significant errors in measured center of
pressure and needed complicated calibration to correct those errors,
while Bertec plate's errors in the same measure were much much smaller
and could be negligble. I highly recommend you to buy Bertec plates.
Bing Yu, PhD
Associate Professor, Director
Center for Human Movement Science
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
************************************************** **
From a former AMTI and Bertec user, I wouldn't hesitate to go with AMTI,
regardless of price.
My thoughts on Bertec...
Cheap amplifiers, lack of software, below average support, high system
noise.
Just one person's thoughts though...
************************************************** **
Just my two cents for support of what others seem to have answered you-
I have bought two plates from Bertec and have been extremely satisfied
with them- great service too. They have also custom built load cells for
me. I think they are a great company.
Julianne Abendroth-Smith, Ed.D.
Dept. of Exercise Science
Willamette University
Salem OR USA
************************************************** **
In our labs here we have several Bertec forceplates in use. They
function excellently and have caused not a single trouble over the
last 6 years. Our use is in part clinical and in part fundamental
research with inverse dynamics.
1) Our initial purchase was based on an analysis by Jaap Harlaar
(j.harlaar@azvu.nl) in which he concluded that for inverse dynamics
the precision of the force measurements is less relevant than the
precision of the determination of the centre of pressure. In the latter
aspect AMTI, Bertec and Kistler all report a precision of about 1
mm.
2) AMTI and Bertec, both strain gauge types, have closely
comparable specifications: forces ± 1 N , CoP ± 1 mm.
3) AMTI needs on most floors a mounting plate, which is quite
costly.
4) Kistler, uses piezoelectric force measurement. With this method
very small forces or force changes can be measured. This may
make K preferable for stabilometric research.
5) The same piezoelectic force measurement makes that the force
zero drifts. Kistler has now amplifiers that reduce this effect very
much, but you always need a zero measurement immediately
before the actual measurement. This may be a disadvantage in
measurements in which the subject stand for longer periods on the
plate, e.g. for the same stabilometry as 4) ......
6) When you have to measure cats and dogs, the 1 N force
resolution of A and B may be not sufficient, and you may need a K.
I hope this will help you,
At Hof
At Hof
Institute of Human Movement Science
University of Groningen
PO Box 196
9700 AD Groningen
The Netherlands
Tel: (31) 50 363 2645
************************************************** **
--
Dr. Peter Böttcher
Klinik für Kleintiere
Universität Leipzig
An den Tierkliniken 23
D-04103 Leipzig
------ GERMANY -----
Tel: #49-341-9738700
Fax: #49-341-9738799
boettcher@kleintierklinik.uni-leipzig.de
-----------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe send SIGNOFF BIOMCH-L to LISTSERV@nic.surfnet.nl
For information and archives: http://isb.ri.ccf.org/biomch-l
Web-based discussion forum: http://movement-analysis.com/biomch_l
-----------------------------------------------------------------