Early detection of falls with multidimensional sensors

描述（由申请人提供）：本研究的最终目标是开发一个通信系统，用于为那些在家，有跌倒或跌倒相关伤害风险的老年人创建远程锻炼计划。该通信系统将需要最少的用户交互和客户端的技术管理，中低收入的老年人也能负担得起，并允许在锻炼期间与锻炼指导/主管进行实时交互（包括视频和音频）。希望这一创新的远程锻炼项目能够吸引更多的老年人，他们过去有久坐不动的生活方式，不活动，或呆在家里，使他们无法参加以社区为基础的团体锻炼项目，保持更高的参与度，并促进比传统的以社区为基础的团体锻炼项目更好的健康和生活质量。在第一期研究中，我们将探索建立和使用电信系统进行居家老年人锻炼项目的可行性。有三个具体目标：

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The ultimate goal of this research is to develop a communication system that will be used to create a tele-exercise program for those elders who are home-bound, at risk for falls or fall-related injuries. The communication system will require minimal user-interaction and technical management at the client end, will be affordable by middle or low income elders, and will allow real time interaction (both visual and audio) with the exercise director/supervisor during the exercise time. It is hoped that this innovative tele-exercise program will be able to attract more elders who use to have sedentary life style, inactive, or home-bound that prevent them from participating in community based group exercise programs, to retain higher levels of participation, and to promote better health and quality of life, than the traditional, community-based group exercise programs. For this Phase I study, we will explore the feasibility of building and using the telecommunication system for home-based elderly exercise program. There are three specific aims: 1) We will develop a functional prototype that allows one-to-multiple real time audio and video communications. The primary focus of the prototype development will be on its functional performance, instead of its appearance, physical dimension, and cost. 2) We will test this prototype in a laboratory-based simulated environment to assess the quality of the communication and the ease of use. We will make modifications based on the test results, and will produce a final prototype for field testing. 3) We will install the prototype system in the home of a group of elders who are at risk for falls, and start a tele-exercise program. We will assess the quality of the communication, the level of acceptance and satisfaction by the targeted elderly users, the amount of technical support provided, and the effectiveness of the exercise program.