Fall Alert, by Freddie Howells

Introduction

Freddie Howells was inspired to make Fall Alert by his Great Aunt Pat, who’s ninety years old. On top of living alone Pat also suffers from dementia. This is a problem because if she falls over she needs to push a button to let others know, but due to her dementia she forgets to push it. In order to stop her being found on the floor by her carers several hours after, Freddie created Fall Alert.

Fall Alert

Fall Alert is a wearable fall sensor that detects when the elderly person falls and sends an alert to family or carers. Additionally, the fall can trigger an autonomous robot with a webcam interface or a wall mounted webcam, which then searches the house for the elderly person. The project uses a Raspberry Pi connected to a 3-axis accelerometer which monitors everyday movements. After identifying the features of a fall Freddie created an algorithm to detect if someone has fallen. This triggers an event while also launching the optional robot/camera system which uses deep neural networks and computer vision to find the person. Finally by combining Fall Alert with GPS, you can also track the wearer in case they walk away from home.

What we did to help

At SolidPrint3D we recognised the importance of a project like this and decided to help. We loaned Freddie an Ultimaker 3 Extended, so that he can use it to create prototypes of his project. Using this printer will allow Freddie to get Fall Alert closer to market and closer to helping the elderly.

You can find Freddie’s crowdfunder here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/fallalert#start

SolidPrint3D is here to help you make the right choices when it comes to 3D printing. If you’d like to get in touch with us today about how an Ultimaker 3 Extended, or other printers could benefit your business, contact us today. Either via email at info@solidprint3d.ie or call us on 01926 333 777.