Singapore Scientists Invent High-Tech SOS Shirt For Elderly

SPACE MEDICINE

Prof Tay models an early prototype of the intelligent shirt

Singapore (AFP) Oct 11, 2004
Scientists here have invented a high-tech shirt designed to send out an alert if an elderly person suffers a fall, a product expected to be in great demand among Singapore's rapidly ageing population.

The shirt, using Bluetooth wireless technology, will send a signal to a mobile phone or computer which will then alert relatives and friends of the victim with a call, SMS message or email, the Straits Times reported Monday.

One in five persons in Singapore is expected to be over 65 years old in 25 years as a result of a declining birth rate and longer life spans, posing serious social, economic and health concerns for the city-state.

"When a person falls, that's bad enough, but if he falls and there's no one to help him, it can be fatal," said Associate Professor Francis Tay of the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology.

Tests of the prototype on 40 volunteers detected 100 percent of falls, the report said. The next step is to incorporate the electronic sensors into the clothing itself through interwoven wires and optical fibers.

"It's not too far-fetched to design a personal air bag which could protect the wearer once the device senses he is about to topple over," the inventor added.

Alarm devices now commercially available require the elderly to press a trigger to send out an alarm, which is useless if the victim is unconscious.

The same technology being applied to the elderly can also be developed to monitor the physical performance of young athletes and soldiers in the field, the report said.

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SPACE MEDICINE

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