D2. WheelSafe

D2. Monitoring and Managing Falls

Principal Investigator

Team Members: Presti, MSCS., David Peeler, B.S.

Students: Andreana Elline Tangonan, MS., Becky Shamberg, Katie Moy, Claire Skowron, Anna Duden

Falls among older adults who use wheelchairs full time can lead to physical injury and psychological challenges, significantly affecting their daily lives. Existing fall detection devices are not effective for this specific population. Thus, there is a critical need to develop a reliable system to detect falls accurately and support individuals in managing fall-related risks. Building on our prior work, we continue to develop and evaluate WheelSafe, a wearable device that accurately detects falls from a wheelchair. We are also creating an ecological monitoring assessment to capture fall circumstances and a tool to visualize fall history. Our immediate goal is to create a fully integrated prototype system compatible with common smartphone/watch operating systems. In the long term, we aim for the adoption of this system to reduce lie time after falls, enhance understanding of fall history and circumstances, empower individuals to engage in fall prevention activities, and improve their ability to live, work, and play in preferred environments. 

Dr. Jaewon Kang providing a demonstration of the WheelSafe fall detection system at the 2024 American Occupational Therapy Association conference
Dr. Jaewon Kang providing a demonstration of the WheelSafe fall detection system at the 2024 American Occupational Therapy Association conference
Female Wheel Chair moving toward mirror

Current Activities

  • In this phase of the study, our team is currently recruiting individuals who use wheelchairs and scooters to utilize our prototype of the wearable fall detection and management device (WheelSafe) to collect data to understand falls amongst individuals who use wheelchairs and scooters. Participants will be asked to wear the device and track the frequency of their falls via a self-reported fall log for a 12-week utilization period. In addition to the utilization of device itself, participants will partake in a series of surveys regarding their health history, community participation, and overall quality of life. After surveys and utilization of the device is completed, participants will then take part in a post-device use interview. At the end of participation in this study, participants will be compensated with a $60 Amazon gift card for their time.
  • We are also conducting focus groups that consist of: individuals who use a wheelchair or scooter, their care partners, and researchers/clinicians to identify the needs and wants from a fall detection and management system. Participants of these focus groups will be asked their thoughts and opinions on the current practices they use for fall management, along with expressing their initial impressions of our current prototype, WheelSafe. At the end of participation in these focus groups, individuals will be compensated with a $50 Amazon gift card for their time.

Select Publications

  • Abou, L., Fliflet, A., Presti, P., Sosnoff, J. J., Mahajan, H. P., Frechette, M. L., & Rice, L. A. (2023). Fall detection from a manual wheelchair: preliminary findings based on accelerometers using machine learning techniques. Assistive technology: the official journal of RESNA, 35(6), 523–531. doi:10.1080/10400435.2023.2177775.
  • Abou, L., Fliflet, A., Hawari, L., Presti, P., Sosnoff, J. J., Mahajan, H. P., Frechette, M. L., & Rice, L. A. (2022). Sensitivity of Apple Watch fall detection feature among wheelchair users. Assistive technology34(5), 619–625. doi:10.1080/10400435.2021.1923087.
  • Rice, L. A., Fliflet, A., Frechette, M., Brokenshire, R., Abou, L., Presti, P., Mahajan, H., Sosnoff, J., & Rogers, W. A. (2022). Insights on an automated fall detection device designed for older adult wheelchair and scooter users: A qualitative study. Disability and health journal15(1S), 101207. doi:10.1016/j.dhjo.2021.101207.

Project Alumni

  • Libak Abou, Ph.D 
  • Alex Fliflet, MS 
  • Mikaela Frechette, Ph.D.,  
  • Malaak Yehya, MPH.
  • Jaewon Kang, PhD
  • Gaby Trier, BS