Fall Stop. Gamified Falls Prevention Exercise for Older Adults using computer-vision technology

**背景**Good Boost是一家社会企业，专门为患有残疾和肌肉骨骼疾病(MSKD)的老年人提供人工智能个性化锻炼计划，包括关节炎、背痛以及髋关节和膝关节置换手术前后。**未满足的需求**跌倒骨折在英国老年人中是一个常见而严重的健康问题。大约三分之一的65岁以上的成年人每年至少摔倒一次，其中约5%的跌倒最终会在医院结束(Kings Fund 2019)，跌倒是这个年龄段意外死亡的主要原因(NHS 2020)。仅髋部骨折每年就有180万天的住院天数和44亿GB的NHS费用(NICE 2021，NHS 2017)。此外，跌倒是过早进入护理环境的主要原因，使老年人失去独立性，并给负担过重的社会护理服务带来额外的成本和压力。然而，老年人跌倒和骨折并不是衰老过程中不可避免的一部分，是可以预防的。两个关键风险因素是肌肉无力(骨质疏松症)和平衡不良(Sherrington等人，2019年)。老年人是身体最不活跃的年龄段，研究表明，人们对锻炼必要性的认识很高，但维持锻炼的动力很低(Age UK 2019)。随着人口日益老龄化，这将成为一个日益严重的问题，需要支持的资源和服务越来越少。**创新**动机是长期保持锻炼的关键因素(Sports England 2020)；短期的力量和平衡锻炼只会产生短期的好处(Sherrington等人，2019)。其创新之处在于将力量、功能平衡和神经肌肉运动游戏化，通过增强现实锻炼游戏创造重复活动和长期行为改变。该计划将在陆地和游泳池的休闲中心进行，目标是55岁以上的成年人，以增加参与和可衡量的肌肉力量、平衡和降低跌倒风险的改善。**研发和部署**游戏化锻炼计划的开发建立在我们现有的计算机视觉技术和与休闲/退休部门的关系基础上。这将实现一种新的预防跌倒的方法，鼓励老年人定期参与，在社区环境和家庭环境中建立和保持他们的力量和平衡。这项技术将在该项目范围内通过笔记本电脑或智能设备在人们的家中使用。因此，增加定期和适当的运动，减少跌倒、随后住院和进入护理机构的风险。

**Background**Good Boost is a social enterprise specialising in AI-personalised exercise programmes for older adults living with disabilities and musculoskeletal disorders (MSKDs), including arthritis, back pain and pre/post hip and knee replacement surgery.**Unmet Need**Falls fractures are a common and serious health issue for older adults in the UK. Around 1/3 adults over 65 will have at least one fall each year, with around 5% of falls ending in hospital (Kings Fund 2019), and falls are the primary cause of accidental mortality in this age group (NHS 2020). Hip fractures alone account for 1.8 million hospital bed days and £4.4bn in NHS costs annually (NICE 2021, NHS 2017). Furthermore, falls are the primary cause of early entry into care settings, removing older adults' independence and placing additional cost and strain on overburdened social care services. However, falls and fractures in older adults are not an inevitable part of the ageing process and are preventable. Two key risk factors are muscle weakness (sarcopenia) and poor balance (Sherrington et al 2019). Older adults are the most physically inactive age group and research demonstrates high awareness of a need to exercise but low motivation to sustain it (Age UK 2019). With a growing ageing population, this will become an ever-increasing problem with smaller resources and services to support.**The Innovation**Motivation is a key factor in long-term maintenance of exercise (Sport England 2020); short-term strength and balance exercises will only create short-term benefit (Sherrington et al 2019). The innovation is to gamify strength, functional balance and neuromuscular exercise to create repeated activity and long-term behaviour change with augmented reality exercise games. The programme will be delivered in leisure centres on land and in pools, aimed at adults 55+ to increase participation and measurable improvement of muscle strength, balance and reduction of falls risk.**R&D and Deployment**The development of the gamified exercise program builds on our existing computer-vision technology and relationships with the leisure/retirement sector. This will achieve a novel approach to fall prevention that encourages older adults to engage regularly to build and maintain their strength and balance in both community settings and at-home. The technology will be made available to use in people's homes on a laptop or smart device within this project scope. As a result, increasing regular and suitable exercise that reduces the risk of falls and subsequent hospitalisation and entry into care facilities.