Now, thanks to a new grant from the National Institutes of Health, members of the Center for Eldercare and Rehabilitation Technology will investigate tailoring the system to alert the patients themselves or family members, providing actionable data that’s easy for non-health professionals to use.
KOMU-TV featured Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Professor Marge Skubic’s research on using bed sensors to predict potential health issues for senior citizens.
A sensor system developed and used by researchers at the University of Missouri produces images and sends automatic e-mail alerts that can be used to predict a fall within a three-week period.
Marjorie Skubic, MU professor of electrical and computer engineering, said the study found that the speed of a person’s walk translated to how likely they are to fall.
Marjorie Skubic, MU professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of the MU Center for Eldercare and Rehabilitation Technology, said the bed sensors’ purpose is to detect any possible health problems while helping patients to “age in place” in the comfort of their own homes.
