Balance4Good - wearable tech to improve balance for an aging population

随着年龄的增长，失去平衡以及由此造成的伤害是人们面临的最重要的医疗问题之一。在英国65岁以上的人中，大约有三分之一的人每年至少跌倒一次，结果往往是昂贵的，而且会缩短寿命。目前，平衡测试、评估和治疗只能在专业诊所进行，使用昂贵的设备，由专家管理。没有一种消费产品能让一个人自己有效地测试自己的平衡能力，并提供互动练习来提高平衡能力。Balance4Good正在开发一种负担得起的系统，使人们能够自我管理平衡，以防止跌倒。这项技术将低成本，易于使用的可穿戴传感器与智能手机应用程序和在线服务相结合，可以测量平衡，提出锻炼建议并监测改善情况。Balance4Good将把经过验证的医疗技术带出诊所，并将其提供给更广泛的人群，目标是降低老年人意外跌倒的成本和危及生命的影响。

Loss of balance and the resulting injuries caused by falling is one of the most significant healthcare problems facing people as they age. About one in three people in England over 65 fall at least once every year, and the results are often costly and life shortening.Currently, balance testing, evaluation and treatment is only available in specialty clinics, using expensive devices and run by experts. No consumer product exists that allows a person on their own to effectively test their balance and provides interactive exercises to improve it.Balance4Good is developing an affordable system that will enable self-managed balance improvement to prevent falls. This technology will integrate low cost, easy to use wearable sensors with a smartphone app and online service that will measure balance, propose exercises, and monitor improvement. Balance4Good will take proven medical techniques out of the clinic and make them available to a wider population with the goal of reducing the cost and life threatening impact of accidental falls amongst the aging.