Two new products for the well-being of the elderly:
A group of Stanford University students have designed a “smart” ankle brace that may help the elderly from falling, replacing canes and walkers.
The chip in the brace continuously monitors the position of the ankle and if it detects a roll that is greater than normal, it starts vibrating. The vibrations send a signal to the brain that the person needs to change the position of their foot or shift their balance in order to avoid a fall.
The development of the device is still at a preliminary stage and more testing, research and funds need to be invested before commercialization is possible.
Via CNN. News release.
International Security Technology has developed the Vivago well-being wristband, which analyses and transmits information on the user’s level of activity and notifies if any deviations from normal occur.
During the first four days of use, the wristband measures the user’s normal level of activity: micro and macro movement, skin temperature and skin conductivity. Later on, if the wristband detects any abnormality, it automatically sends a notification to the recipient of alarms, a community nursing centre or a relative.