Topic:

Disruptive Technologies for Fall Prevention: Artificial Intelligence Based Simulations for Fall Hazard Detection and Assessment in the Home Environment.

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Aim:

To create an alternative approach to traditional fall detection and prevention practises, commonly used within the home environment.

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Abstract:

Fall and fall-related incidents are the leading cause of injury in adults over the age of 65 years old. With the National Health Service in the UK, specifically, experiencing a £2 billion burden as a direct result of fall related prevention methods, it’s clear that alternative avenues should be pursued in order to produce more effective and efficient results. 

As technology-based preventions have been pursued further over recent years, so too does this paper propose the use of an AI-based 3D simulation in order to replace traditional home risk assessments. The outcome of this tool will determine whether this form of AI can be successfully implemented within a clinical setting.

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Result:

While the prototype developed has various limitations, including the current method of implementation concerning the environment, in addition to how the ragdoll is utilised, these are factors which at this current state, represent how the product could be further developed and optimised in the future. The use of a simulation, as developed within the prototype, not only promises an effective resource efficient alternative, but one that has the ability to visually represent how each individual would personally react to the identified fall hazards, producing further quantifiable data than the currently operated OT home risk assessment. Additionally, with the use of AI-based techniques to identify various hazards within the home environment, within the best-case scenario, all forms of subjective assessment are removed, improving the efficiency of hazard detection.

Ultimately, the developed product proposes an alternative approach to home risk assessments which can be taken further in multiple ways in order to create a method in which home safety is assessed and determined in the most cost efficient and resource effective way.

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