Smart shirt that can call for help after a fall

Abstract

A smart shirt was developed for geriatric Healthcare purposes. It can summon medical assistances via SMS and e-mail when its bearer has fallen. Single axis accelerometers are arranged in mediolateral, vertical and antero-posterior direction on the shoulder part of the shirt. Using Bluetooth™ transmitter/receiver, signals are transmitted and processed on a Personal Computer (PC) for fall-detection. Upon detection of falls, SMS (Short Messaging Service) and e-mail are sent through GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) network supported by a local telecommunication service provider. The primary advantage of our detection system compared to other researchers' systems is that fall notification can be sent to individuals and medical health care unit simultaneously to lead to a shortened interval of the arrival of assistance. © World Scientific Publishing Company.