Falls among the elderly pose a growing problem in geriatrics care and research in that actual falls and hard to predict, detect, instrument, and document among such a large and diverse population. A new and innovative video-based system is herein proposed for development that would facilitate a standardized methodology for the economical monitoring and recording of selected populations in areas of increased fall risk along with the subsequent documentation of the falls for later study. The system will utilize the latest in state-of-the-art yet cost-effective video equipment and will be tested in a controlled laboratory setting with an instrumented mannequin. The system will then be installed in a clinical environment for evaluation. Use will also be made of advanced video-based motion analysis systems for qualifying the Phase I laboratory data and defining further developments for a Phase II program.
