A preliminary study to demonstrate the use of an air bag device to prevent fall-related injuries.

We sought to develop a fall-related injury prevention system using a telemetry acceleration monitor and an air bag. In a preliminary study, we developed a fall detection system using an acceleration signal and triggering the inflation of an air bag. Sixteen subjects mimicked falls and their acceleration waveforms were monitored. Then, we developed a fall detection algorithm that could detect signals 300 ms before the fall. This signal was used as a trigger to inflate the air bag to a capacity of 2.4 L. While the proposed system can aid in preventing fall-related injuries, further development is needed to miniaturize the inflation system.