University of Canberra researchers have taken the lead in testing new technology that will make assessing fall risks in the elderly more accurate, accessible and affordable.
Teaming up with Canberra start-up and technology developers Balance Mat, Robotics researchers and Human Centred Technology (HCT) Research Centre staff are calibrating the technology, which responds to movement and measures balance to gauge the risk of falls in older people.
Lecturer and HCT Research Centre member Dr Maryam Ghahramani is running extensive tests on subjects using the balance mat – both human and robotic – to ensure consistency in its analysis and data.
“Gauging someone’s postural sway – and therefore how at risk they are of having a fall – is usually done visually by doctors,” she said. “This is very subjective, and therefore not a good measure – it isn’t precise, and can’t be used to tell if one’s balance is deteriorating or improving over time.”
Dr Ghahramani added that while there are devices that can be used to measure postural sway, they all come with significant limitations.
“Some are very expensive, or they only collect data and then that has to be analysed separately offline,” she said.
“The Balance Mat is the first technology I’ve seen that addresses these limitations, being small, light and therefore portable and just a fraction of the price of these others.”
Balance Mat’s Managing Director Ian Bergman first developed the technology for the security sector but pivoted once he saw its potential in healthcare.
“I met David Hinwood, a PhD student from the Faculty of Science and Technology, at an exhibition, and we got to talking about testing the mat with UC’s robots – it’s been a really successful collaboration, and is looking to be a long-term one,” said Mr Bergman.
“The scope of possibility for its uses is also very wide – we are looking at how it can be applied to help people with Parkinson’s disease or diabetes, or stroke patients, to name a few,” said Mr Bergman.
Dr Maryam Ghahramani and Ian Bergman will be conducting more tests at the Council on the Ageing (COTA ACT) Silver is Gold Senior Expo on 26 May, 10am to 4pm at Booth 135 in the Budawang Pavilion at Exhibition Park in Canberra (EPIC).