Early detection of fall observed in the elderly and delivering timely treatment via drones equipped with first aid kit.

FREMONT, CA: In this sensor-driven environment, early prediction of things has become feasible with the development of sensors in all the fields, including healthcare. Certainly, sensors have invaded the lives of patients in many ways. Also, they have transformed the perception of doctors in monitoring their patients’ activity, enabling them to deliver treatment in an appropriate time. When everyone is busy with their lives, they scarcely care about their health and are unaware of what will affect them next. In this scenario, the sensors have drastically changed the thought of these people to be wholly concerned about their health.

Consequently, in the absence of janitors for older people, there is an increased demand for devices to monitor them. With this in mind, a team from Iraq and the University of South Australia has developed a sensor-based system to monitor older people remotely. This advanced fall detection and first aid system for the elderly can detect abnormalities in their heart rate and temperature that can lead to falling and provide first aid immediately when a fall occurs.

In this system, the sensors are integrated into the wearable device, which can monitor vital signs when attached to the upper arm of the patient, thereby send an alarm in the form of a message to an emergency call center when abnormal levels are noted. Once an abnormality is detected, the patient location is tracked, and first aid supplies can be delivered to the patient via a drone, up to 105 seconds faster than an ambulance.

The fall detection device used here comprises of a microcontroller, two bio-sensors, a GPS module to track the location of the elderly person and a GSM module to send a notification to the smartphones of caregivers. Also, it utilizes a drone equipped with a first aid kit and a smartphone to trace the patient, to deliver the package at the right time to the right person. This fall detection system can substantially reduce the percentage of deaths from falls, especially for people over 65 years.