An interdisciplinary team comprising researchers from the Photon Science Institute and three academic Schools at The University of Manchester has developed a smart carpet to prevent falls, a major cause of hospitalization for people in the above 65 age group.
Plastic optical fibers laid beneath the carpet are capable of mapping the walking patterns of any person who treads on the carpet, in real time. At the edges, the carpet features small electronics that function as sensors for transmitting signals to a computer for further analysis. This analysis provides the image of the footprint and detects progressive changes in walking patterns or an unexpected incident like a trip or fall in advance.
The researchers are exhibiting their work at the Photon 12 conference today. According to them, their smart carpets find use in hospital wards, care homes and in people's homes if required. These carpets can also be utilized by physiotherapists for mapping improvements and changes in a person’s walk. The versatile imaging technology also finds use as an early-warning system by detecting the presence of fire or chemical spillages.
The researchers utilized an innovative tomographic technique that maps two-dimensional images by utilizing light traversing beneath the surface of the smart carpet. Professor Krikor Ozanyan from the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering informed that the researchers developed this innovative tomography in 2005 at The University of Manchester.
Dr Patricia Scully from the Photon Science Institute who headed the research team explained that the magic carpet is capable of collecting a variety of data regarding a person’s condition, from chemical to biomechanical sensing of body fluids, thus providing holistic sensing to enable an environment that identifies and reacts to changes in person’s condition. It is possible to retrofit the carpet into a living room at a lower cost, especially for aging population and people with long-term disabilities.
Source: http://www.manchester.ac.uk
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