A carpet that anticipates the risk of falling

Researchers at the British University of Manchester have developed a mat that can detect early warning signs of mobility problems in older people or set off an alarm in case of a fall. The mat uses a fibre-optic network that picks up a person's gait in real time and transmits this information to a computer for analysis.

Photo credit © Manchester University

Among the elderly, falls are among the most common household accidents. Researchers from theManchester University and the Photon Science Institute in England think they have found a preventive solution with their "magic carpet", capable of detecting a sudden fall and triggering an alert. But it can also follow a person's gait in real time and detect a deterioration in movement that could be the source of accidents.

Patricia Scully, project manager at the University of Manchester explains that "30 to 40 % of older people fall each year. This is the most frequent and serious domestic accident, accounting for 50 % of hospital admissions among the over 65s (UK population data, editor's note)".

This carpet could be used in retirement homes, nursing homes, hospitals as well as private homes. Physiotherapists could also use it to monitor a person's gait during rehabilitation work.

A magic carpet made of fiber optics

The mat uses the same tomographic process found in medical scanners where light propagation is used to obtain 2D images. A network of optical fibres runs under the surface of the belt and sensors are placed on the ends. When a person walks on the carpet, the deformation of the fibres causes a change in the light circuit, which is recorded by the sensors and transmitted in real time to a computer.

The system can detect a sudden event, such as a fall, but it can also track a person's gait and detect changes that are precursors to a mobility disorder. Manchester University/YouTube

"The mat can collect a wide range of information about a person's condition, from biomechanics to chemical detection of body fluids, providing a holistic sensing environment that responds to changes in a patient's condition," says Scully. The system could also be used to detect chemical leaks or a fire outbreak.

When asked by Futura-Sciences about the scope of this holistic approach and the technical details of the carpet's operation and its eventual commercialization, the researcher did not wish to answer, citing intellectual property issues. But she assures that this technology would not be expensive to deploy in living areas or public buildings frequented by the elderly. The system could even be integrated elsewhere than in a carpet, for example in a mattress, a wall or the surface of a piece of furniture.

(Article published in Futura-Sciences.com - Sept. 18, 2012)

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