Research Projects

Falls are a significant cause of emergency hospital admission and presentation, particularly in the elderly population. Factors such as increasing age, medication use, cognitive impairment, and sensory deficits contribute to the risk of falls. Health care expenditure is substantial in fall-related injuries, with fatal and non-fatal falls resulting in medical costs of $637.5 million and $31.3 billion respectively. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that falls are the second leading cause of death in the elderly, especially in middle and low socioeconomic countries. In our country, the population of the elderly (60 years) is increasing, and a recent report predicts a decrease in young populations due to reduced fertility and an increase in middle and old age populations by 2036. To address this issue, a wearable gadget using inert measurement units (IMU) for fall detection is proposed. The device collects data on blood pressure, oxygen saturation, body temperature, and pulse rate, which are then transferred to mobile devices via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi or Wireless LAN in facilities like old age homes or rehabilitation units. Acceleration sensors attached to the wearable system, mainly Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS), measure fall detection using accelerometer sensors. These sensors provide tilting angle, XYZ coordinate position, and programmed algorithms to determine if a fall occurred and alert in case of an emergency. An Android-based mobile data acquisition (DAQ) solution is also proposed, collecting personalized health information from end-users and sending it to a data center for further processing.