Fall Risk Recovery Profile for Personalized Rest Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for providing feedback on fall risk to users, particularly elderly individuals, do not adequately address the need for indicating physical fatigue and the duration of rest periods required to reduce fall risk effectively, nor do they provide sufficient advice on how to minimize fall risk during walking exercises.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that utilize a processing unit to analyze fall risk measurements and resting periods to determine a fall risk recovery profile, providing feedback on the required duration of rest and offering guidance on how to reduce fall risk during future walking exercises by determining the maximum duration of a moving period and suggesting adjustments to walking plans.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fall risk assessment systems provide basic fall risk indications, then users receive some safety information, but the feedback does not adequately address physical fatigue and required rest periods
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a comprehensive feedback mechanism that provides users with specific information about fall risk levels, physical fatigue indicators, and recommended rest periods. The processing unit analyzes sensor data to generate actionable feedback that tells users not only their current fall risk but also what actions (rest, exercise modification) they should take to reduce risk, thereby completing the information loop that was previously missing.
Solution Approach 2:
The feedback system segments fall risk information into distinct components: current fall risk level, physical fatigue assessment, recommended rest duration, and personalized exercise advice. This segmentation allows the system to address each aspect separately and comprehensively, ensuring that no critical information is lost while providing targeted guidance to users.
2Strength
If walking exercises are performed to improve health, then physical capability increases, but fall risk temporarily increases during the activity
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic rest periods during walking exercises based on real-time fall risk assessment. When the processing unit detects that fall risk exceeds a threshold or fatigue indicators suggest declining performance, it automatically recommends pausing the exercise. This periodic interruption pattern allows users to maintain physical training benefits while periodically resetting their safety margin, preventing falls during high-risk periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts exercise recommendations based on real-time sensor data including step count, duration, speed, and environmental factors. The feedback adapts to the user's current state, modifying rest frequency and duration recommendations to optimize both safety and training effectiveness, rather than using fixed exercise protocols.
3Reliability
If rest periods are taken to reduce fall risk, then safety improves, but exercise duration and productivity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The system optimizes rest period parameters (duration, frequency, timing) based on individual user profiles, exercise intensity, and real-time fall risk assessment. Rather than using fixed rest intervals, the processing unit dynamically adjusts rest parameters to provide the minimum necessary safety intervention, thereby maximizing exercise duration while maintaining acceptable fall risk levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables users to self-monitor their fall risk and make informed decisions about when to rest during exercise. By providing real-time feedback on fall risk levels and fatigue indicators, users can autonomously adjust their exercise intensity and timing, reducing unnecessary rest periods while maintaining safety through self-awareness.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing feedback to a user, in particular relating to the fall risk of the user and/or relating to advice to reduce the fall risk of the user. According to an embodiment, there is provided an apparatus for providing feedback to a user, the apparatus comprising a user interface for providing feedback to the user; and a processing unit. The processing unit is configured to obtain measurements of the fall risk of the user over a time period, the time period comprising at least one time portion in which the fall risk of the user increases to a first threshold value while moving, the user rests for a resting period when the fall risk reaches the first threshold value, and the user subsequently resumes moving; analyse the measurements of the fall risk of the user to determine the duration of each resting period and the fall risk of the user at the end of each resting period when the user subsequently resumes moving; determine a fall risk recovery profile for the user from the duration of each resting period and the fall risk of the user at the end of each resting period; determine the duration of a resting period required for the fall risk of the user to decrease to a second threshold value using the fall risk recovery profile; and provide feedback to the user on the determined duration via the user interface.