Designing a Soft-Actuated Smart Garment for Postural Control and Fall Prevention in Elderly Women

A fall in third age triggers a domino effect of consequences that are recognized by specialists as leading causes of further falls. After the first event, the post-fall syndrome onsets: a pathological fear of falling that affects quality of life. It leads to loss of self-efficacy, sedentarism, musculoskeletal weakening, reduced mobility, postural insufficiency, gait disorders, isolation and depression—all acknowledged as fall risk factors. Specialists agreed that the most effective approach to prevent new episodes is to restore confident postures and good alignments. This paper presents the first design stages of a soft-actuated re-educational garment for remote post-fall rehabilitation in female users. The objective is to i) restore postural control by providing a gentle pressure stimulus, suggesting corrections when poor body alignments are detected; ii) restore the perceived self-efficacy; iii) promote physical activity by motion monitoring and providing daily reports through a patient-therapist smartphone app. To date, we have tested a soft body-postures detection system by cross-checking data from a network of e-textile stretch sensors, along with a pneumatic actuator system around the user’s torso providing a targeted pressure stimulus to correct bad habits. Tests have been run on a limited number of users due to the Covid-19 emergency. Data are not yet statistically conclusive but suggest the way to a new dimensional approach, both for rehabilitation and prevention.