Technology developed at Waterloo Engineering uses radar and artificial intelligence (AI) to unobtrusively monitor people in hospitals and long-term care facilities for early signs of health problems based on how fast they walk.
“Walking speed is often called a functional vital sign because even subtle declines can be an early warning of health problems,” said Dr. Hajar Abedi, a former postdoctoral researcher in electrical and computer engineering at Waterloo.
The ability to track walking speed, even with multiple people in busy hallways, builds on previous work by researchers to detect falls using radar, which operates in any light, preserves privacy and doesn’t require subjects to wear any devices.
“Our vision is to build an invisible safety net – a radar-AI system that quietly watches over residents day and night, tracking not only walking speed but the full spectrum of mobility and behavioural changes to alert caregivers long before a crisis occurs,” said Abedi, now chief science officer of Gold Sentinel, a startup launched to commercialize the system.
The research team also included Dr. George Shaker, a professor of electrical and computer engineering, Dr. Richard Hughson, a professor emeritus of kinesiology and health sciences, Dr. Plinio Morita, a professor of public health sciences, and Dr. Jennfier Boger and Dr. Alexander Wong, both professors of systems design engineering.
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