Preventing injurious falls in older adults using floor vibration and gait monitoring
Mitigating Injurious Falls in Older Adults Through Non-Injurious Fall and Gait Analysis From Floor Vibrations
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · ADVANCED SMART SYSTEMS/EVALUATION TECHNO · NIH-11185349
A floor-mounted vibration system aims to detect falls and changes in walking in older adults, including people with dementia, so help can arrive faster and injuries can be reduced.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | ADVANCED SMART SYSTEMS/EVALUATION TECHNO (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (COLUMBIA, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11185349 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
If I take part, sensors placed under building floors will pick up vibrations from footsteps and falls and software will analyze those patterns to spot non-injurious falls and changes in gait. The system is designed to work without a wearable pendant so it can protect people who forget or refuse to wear devices, such as those with Alzheimer’s or related dementias. Study staff will compare vibration signals with other measures like accelerometers and clinical observations to improve the detection algorithms. The work focuses on installing and testing the technology in care facilities and community settings to enable automatic, patient-independent monitoring.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults aged 65 and older, especially residents of care facilities or people living with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias.
Not a fit: People who do not live or spend time in buildings where the floor sensors are installed, or younger adults without fall risk, would not benefit from this system.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could provide automatic, non-wearable fall detection and early warning of walking problems so people get faster help and care facilities can reduce injury costs.
How similar studies have performed: Wearable pendant alarms and accelerometer-based detectors have shown limited real-world use, and floor-vibration monitoring is a newer approach with some promising pilot data but not yet widely proven.
Where this research is happening
COLUMBIA, UNITED STATES
- ADVANCED SMART SYSTEMS/EVALUATION TECHNO — COLUMBIA, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: FRITZ, STACY LYNNE — ADVANCED SMART SYSTEMS/EVALUATION TECHNO
- Study coordinator: FRITZ, STACY LYNNE
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.