It started with a study.
Balance Driven is a Columbus, Ohio based company dedicated to providing revolutionary balance training equipment for users of all abilities. The React Board 364 and RAW Board were developed and sold by Balance Dynamix through Fitterfirst, Patterson Medical and other retailers until mid-2015.
Balance Driven returned both products to the market in 2017, along with a new product: the RAW Board S (patent pending), which offers a new rocker board and wobble board experience. The RAW Board is unchanged, but the React Board 364 S has been through a significant redesign. The “S” stands for “simple”: the inside of the board was redesigned and simplified to decrease cost and allow adjustable friction to slow the motion of the platform.
How the React Board came to be
The React Board 364 and RAW Board are patented products invented and developed by a physical therapist, Jeffrey VanBuren. Jeff had the initial idea for the React Board about 15 years ago while reading a research study. Participants stood on a platform that was mechanically moved while their muscle activity was recorded. Further investigation showed that other studies performed on moving platforms had promising results: participants displayed improved neuromuscular control and speed, and were expected to have a decreased risk of falls and of mechanical injuries such as sprains and strains.
Unfortunately, the research was performed either on large, expensive automated platforms or on a simple roller board on wheels. Jeff felt that a small, inexpensive platform that could easily be moved would be a great way to challenge clients of all levels. A simple prototype was built a few days later and used with his physical therapy clients. It was portable, easy to move and, most importantly, it gave clients a higher level of balance training than they could get from traditional equipment such as wobble boards and foam.
Over the next several years three more prototypes were built, each taking client and therapist/trainer feedback into account. The platform finally reached the point where Jeff’s employer and the local technology incubator were willing to offer financial assistance and guidance. That support led to the first professionally built prototype, second place in the OSU business plan competition, a relationship with Fitterfirst (a manufacturer, distributor and retailer of exercise equipment) and the first patent filing.
The next step was beta testing. A local company specializing in design and manufacturing reviewed the design, purpose and potential market for the platform, and its CEO felt it was a good fit for the company’s capabilities. He wanted not only the beta units but also a partnership to finish the design of the platforms and help bring them to market.
Balance Dynamix was formed, and the React Board 364 and RAW Board were sold in the US and Canada, with excellent feedback from customers and users. Unfortunately, the manufacturing partner was not able to provide the resources it had expected to, and the products did not receive the attention that new products need.
Exhibiting with Fitterfirst
Balance Driven has been exhibiting with Fitterfirst for the last 7 years at physical therapy, athletic training and personal training conferences in the US and Canada. Fitterfirst is a Canadian company with many exercise and wellness products and an overall focus on balance.
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