If slips, trips, and falls tend to occur in one area of your outdoor workplace, employers need to know about it so they can address the issue. The new “smart” insole is designed to provide that information in case employees forget or don’t care about it.
The wearable device is being developed through a partnership between the National University of Singapore and spin-off company FlexoSense. The project is led by his professor Lim Chwee Teck at the university.
The insole fits inside a regular third-party shoe and incorporates electronics such as a GPS module, inertial measurement unit (IMU) and pressure sensors. GPS records the wearer’s position, while the IMU and sensors detect sudden foot movements and changes in foot pressure, respectively.
Custom algorithms that analyze that data in real time can identify distinct combinations of readings that indicate the wearer has slipped, tripped or fallen. The time and location of these incidents can be viewed via a wirelessly linked smartphone app or online dashboard.
National University of Singapore
The idea is that if employers recognize that an area is prone to accidents, they can initiate changes to make the area safer. Additionally, if a particular employee appears to slip, trip, or fall regardless of location, it can be reassigned to a lower risk position.
“STF [slip trip falls] Chia Lye Peng, CEO of FlexoSense, said:
The insole technology is currently being field-tested by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.
Source: National University of Singapore
