Technology Overview

Singapore has the fastest greying population in the region. According to the UN’s World Congress on Falls and Posture Stability, fall is the leading cause of death for the elderly aged 65 and above, and 56% of falls happen at home.

This technology offer presents a non-camera, non-wearable IoT monitoring sensors, based on millimeter-wave (mm-wave) technology coupled with Artificial Intelligence (AI), to monitor motion and detect falls for the elderly who live independently in a flat either alone or with a partner, helper or caregiver.

This solution monitors the mobility and wellness of the elderly non-invasively, giving full privacy to everyone in the household, while keeping track of the salient physical and vital information such as sleeping time, active or sedentary habits, and other cognitive behaviours such as forgetting to lock the door or staring out at the window for a prolonged period of time. Moreover, the sensor is designed in a discreet casing with the full privacy in mind so that they can be placed safely even in private space such as bathroom, bedroom, etc.

The technology owner is currently seeking opportunities to partner with the hospitals, home for the aged, mental health institution and clinical researchers in the elderly care space to create a safe and empowered active ageing journey for the silver generation in Singapore.

Technology Features, Specifications and Advantages

The technology comprises a mm-wave sensor, which is tuned and programmed with algorithm on the edge, and communication module. It covers up to 5mwith the coverage area of 34m² to accurately locate people, pets, while studying their movement, behavioural patterns, and helps understand the changes / anomaly over time.

With its 5G ready edge computing, the solution has the capability to identify if the person falls and sends alert to the caregiver immediately without the need for active alarm system / button to be pressed by the elderly. With the designed AI programme, the solution also studies the physical frailty of the elderly over time and advises when an assisted mobility tool or device is necessary to prevent potential falls or other health risks.

Potential Applications

The primary application area is in the elderly care facilities, and the home of the elderly who live independently. The product has been designed with full privacy in mind so they can also be used in hospitals, rehabilitation and elder care centers, and even in remote and unmonitored toilets / shower facilities where falls and other incidents could happen, but timely help might not be available unless proactively notified.

The potential applications are vast, particularly in areas where privacy is important and camera solution is not suitable as well as where cloud storage, bandwidth and maintenance cost are a concern.

Customer Benefits

The global Elderly Care Products and Services Market size is $832.8 billion, growing at a CAGR of 3.9% during the forecast period 2020-2025. The aim is to detect and prevent falls, the possible onsets of depression and other cognitive function deterioration so that the elderly can feel safe empowered in their silver years and the caregivers can visit and render help and support at the right time.

The benefits are invaluable:

• Full privacy without the worry of having the camera footage being leaked or misused
• Lower cost of cloud storage and bandwidth compared to camera-based solution
• Timely care and help with both reactive and predictive alerts and notifications
• Fall detection and anomaly pattern recognition in sleep, mobility and other behaviours.