Researchers have developed a new robot that catches elderly people as they start to fall.
Scientists have developed the Mobile Robotic Balance Assistant (MRBA) or ‘Mr. Bah’, which looks like a motorised wheelchair. The device has guard rails that come up to a person’s hip and are outfitted with sensors to judge when a person begins to go off balance.
The machine was invented by scientists from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore, and it’s now waiting for regulatory approval in major markets like the US.
The robot is facing significant funding challenges for getting to market, but it is targeted to be available in two years, according to researchers.
Wei Tech Ang, one of the lead researchers of the robot invention, said: “Falls are a big problem worldwide, the intention was to help people walk around at home without the fear of falling down.”
Ang became aware of the problem from his personal experience. “My 85-year-old mother, she’s a frequent faller,” he said. “After she fell for the first time about 10 years ago, I started having this idea of creating a robot.”
According to the World Health Organisation, adults older that 60 years of age suffer the greatest number of fatal falls. As elderly people are the ones more at risk of falling, around one in three adults over 65 and half of people over 80 will have at least one fall a year.
In regards to falls and technology, Karen Chua, one of the co-developer of the mobility robot, said: “One of the key strategies is to empower patients. We want to make robotics therapies more sustainable and accessible in the community where our patients can lead healthier and happier lives.”
