Each year, one in three elderly fall. Studies show that many factors contribute to an elderly person's risk of falling, but if the factors causing imbalance are improved, a person's risk of falling may be reduced. A device that detects and alerts the user of an off-balance situation before the fall occurs could identify a specific need for improved balance control. This MQP describes the design, testing, and verification of a prototype wearable device that is worn on the right hip during the sit-to-stand activity (STS) to detect and notify the user of an unbalanced STS. By signaling an off-balance situation during STS, our device notifies the user of poor balance control and identifies the need for balance control improvement.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Tuite, Elizabeth Mary
• Goggins, Kevin James
• Martori, Amanda Lynn

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-042910-153626

Advisor

• Gielo-Perczak, Krystyna
• Mendelson, Yitzhak

Year

• 2010

Date created

• 2010-04-29

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Biomedical Engineering

Rights statement

• In Copyright