Distinguishing fall activities from normal activities by velocity characteristics

The purpose of this study was to identify unique features of the velocity profile during normal and abnormal (i.e., fall) activities so as to make the automatic detection of falls during the descending phase of a fall possible. Normal activities included walking, rising from a chair and sitting down, descending stairs, picking up an object from the floor, transferring in and out of a tub, and lying down on a bed. The fall activities included tripping, forward and backward falls from standing. The horizontal and vertical velocities (Vh and Vv) at various locations of the trunk was measured. It was found that the Vh and Vv of the trunk during normal activities were within a well-controlled range, and that when the velocity in one direction increased, the velocity in the other direction usually did not. In contrast, the Vh and Vv demonstrated two different characteristics for the fall movement. Firstly, the magnitude of both Vh and Vv of the trunk increased dramatically during the falling phase, reaching up to 2–3 times that of normal velocities. Secondly, the increase of Vh and Vv magnitude usually occurred simultaneously, and usually about 300–400 ms before the end of the fall. These two velocity characteristics, that is, the magnitude change and the timing of the magnitude change of both Vh and Vv, could be used to distinguish fall movements from normal activities during the descending phase of the fall. It is hoped that the application of these two velocity characteristics could lead to potentially preventing or degrading fall-related injuries in the elderly population when connected with other devices.