After falling, seniors are often helpless in the apartment for hours. A vacuum cleaner robot has been developed at St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences, which warns the paramedics in such emergency situations.
A pensioner comes to fall into his apartment, the electronic help of the household gives an emergency call to the rescue and immediately reports the family members. What sounds like science fiction is already a reality – and soon the standard equipment of the apartments of seniors can be.
Falls with bad episodes
The technical savior in need, which at the same time keeps the floors clean, is called “Smart Companion”. It is a commercial cleaner Robot available on the market that scientists from St. Pölten University of Applied sciences have inhaled into intelligent life. “It is about the fact that single people are not helpless for hours after a fall,” describes project manager Andreas Jakl of the Department of Media and Digital Technologies of the University of Applied Sciences.
The advantage of such a device is undisputed. Every more than 65-year-old falls on average once a year, says the statistics. And the older people get, the higher the risk of falling. “The risk of injury is particularly high in the elderly, but at the same time many want to live at home in old age,” explains Jakl. The “Smart Companion” can recognize waterfalls and starts the rescue chain.
Prototype successfully tested
The project team of the St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences has already built a prototype of the food vacuum cleaner. Prayer sensors can be found, with a voice assistant such as Alexa, the fallen person can communicate and get help. The “Smart Companion” has also been tested – for six months in the guided life of the Samaritan Association in Linz. “The system has proven itself,” Jakl summarizes the consistently positive results.
As the use of data protection must also be clarified when using this AI-based technology, the “Smart Companion” has also been checked and released by an ethical committee, Jakl emphasizes. His finding after the test phase: “The robot keeps the apartment clean. And the seniors appreciate it because it can help with emergency situations.”
Source: Krone
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