Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia have received $1.2m grant from the National Science Foundation's Smart Health and Wellbeing Program to develop a portable fall prediction monitoring system for early detection of fall risks.
The latest project will develop a monitoring system called ‘ROOP-Alert’ for Remote Observation Operating Platform.
The monitoring system measures declining increments in gait, posture, mobility and posture analysis, body sensor networks, low-power radio frequency wireless communication, and gerontology.
Data from the monitors are sent wirelessly to the ROOP-Alert system in a monitoring station, such as a nurses’ office which aids in recognizing a resident’s mobility decrements and related falls risk, before they fall.