Developing an alarm system for wheelchair falls

在这个项目中，我们的目标是开发一个基于传感器的报警系统，以解决我们的迫切需要， 退休概念高级服务有限公司（RC）。报警系统将帮助护理人员 在RC找到轮椅福尔斯受伤者的位置。轮椅是最重要的 康复设备极大地提高了残疾人的生活质量， 损伤轮椅易受翻倒和福尔斯的影响，这可能导致受伤（例如，头部、颈部、脊柱， 髋关节）。对于依靠轮椅移动的人来说，这种损伤将具有显著的短和短的寿命。 长期影响生活质量、独立性，在某些情况下甚至可能导致死亡。而且这些 受伤是昂贵的，因为轮椅的费用主要由公共保险支付，他们将征收 对社会和医疗系统造成经济负担（长时间住院）。若干研究和报告 由卫生组织进行的调查表明，轮椅福尔斯跌倒及其相关伤害的严重性和增长 问题.全球轮椅使用量增加，电动轮椅或踏板车使用量增加， 再加上轮椅福尔斯的高比率和由此造成的伤害所产生的费用表明， 显然需要改进轮椅的安全性。 在这个项目中，我们计划规划和微调跌倒检测系统的轮椅福尔斯应用。 我们计划在30部轮椅上安装跌倒侦测系统，并监察 传感系统及其算法来识别潜在的问题。我们还计划开发令人震惊的 系统并行运行，并将其并入跌倒检测单元的算法中。这项研究的结果 将成为我们工业合作伙伴的安全装置。这个项目将为我们的技术带来经济效益 用户公司，并在公共领域为加拿大带来短期和长期的社会和经济效益 健康除了这些好处之外，这项建议所授权的研究将导致对高度专业人员的培训。 高要求的健康和应用科学领域的合格人才。

In this project we are aiming to develop a sensor based alarming system to address the immediate need of our industrial partner Retirement Concepts Senior Services Ltd (RC). The alarming system will help the caregivers at RC to find the location of the injured people in wheelchair falls. Wheelchairs are one of the most important devices in rehabilitation that have immensely improved the quality of life for people with disabilities and impairments. Wheelchairs are subject to tips and falls, that can cause injuries (e.g., to head, neck, spine, and hip). For a person who relies on a wheelchair for mobility, such injuries will have significant short and long-term effect on quality of life, independence, and in some cases can even lead to death. Moreover, these injuries are costly and since wheelchair costs are mostly covered by public insurances, they will impose financial burden to the society and medical systems (long time hospitalization). Several studies and reports conducted by health organization indicate wheelchair falls and its related injuries as significant and growing problem. Increased use of wheelchairs globally, and the growth in the use of motorized chairs or scooters, combined with the high rate of wheelchair falls and the cost incurred by the resulting injuries indicates that there is a clear need for improving wheelchair safety. In this project we are planning to program and fine tune a fall detection system for wheelchair falls application. We are planning to install the fall detection systems on 30 wheelchairs and monitor the performance of the sensory system and its algorithm to identify potential problems. We are also planning to develop the alarming system in parallel and incorporate it in the algorithm of the fall detection units. The outcome of this research will be a safety device for our industrial partner. This project will have financial benefits for our technology user corporation, and bring short and long-term social and economical benefits to Canada in the area of public health. In addition to the these benefits, the research empowered by this proposal will lead to training of highly qualified personnel in high demanding health and applied science areas.