Sensors in the mattress warn of fall risk – without a camera in the room
Australian researchers build flexible sensors into mattress protectors to track position and posture in bed. The technology was trialed in aged care and has a U.S. patent.
Symbolic image · Photo: Donaldytong / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
Australian medtech company Sleeptite and RMIT University are developing FlexiSense, a sensor built into mattress protectors. It measures position and posture in bed using flexible electronics printed with silver and carbon ink on polyurethane sheets. The aim is to flag fall risk so carers can step in sooner.
A field trial at an aged care home monitored six residents over more than 250 nights, totaling over 6,100 bed-hours. A peer-reviewed study found the sensors can be produced at scale. In October the technology was granted a U.S. patent and was presented at a medical technology conference in Boston.
"Care workers can't be in every room, every minute of the night," Sleeptite CEO Cameron van den Dungen said. The technology gives them "an extra set of eyes, without putting a camera in the room."