New Solution to Senior Falls: Drones, Smartphones, and Sensors

Researchers from Iraq's Middle Technical University and the University of South Australia (UniSA) have designed a system to remotely monitor seniors and dispatch drones for assistance when they fall, reports Medical Xpress . A study in Sensors details a wearable device that tracks vital signs via a wireless sensor affixed to the upper arm, and sends an alert to an emergency call center if physiological abnormalities or a fall are detected. "The system not only correctly measures heart rate and falls with 99 percent accuracy, but also identifies the senior's location and delivers first aid much faster," claims UniSA Professor Javaan Chahl. The fall detection package includes a microcontroller, bio-sensors, a global-positioning system module to track location, and a Global System for Mobile Communications module to send an alert to caregivers' smartphones. A first aid package, a smartphone, and a drone are bundled together to deliver the package. "We have . . . designed an advanced smartphone-based program that uses an intelligent autopilot, containing a destination waypoint for planning the path of a drone," says Middle Technical University's Sadik Kamel Gharghan.