Students from Darmstadt develop a safety mat to prevent falls from stairs!

Students from Darmstadt develop a safety mat to prevent falls from stairs!

In Darmstadt, four students have developed an innovative solution that could help older people climb stairs more safely. The invention called “StepSafer” was brought to life after the young entrepreneurs heard sad reports of falls in which those affected remained undetected for a long time. Maximilian Zimmermann, Jonathan Burchard, Malte Rath and Moritz Walldorf – a creative team that worked on the idea in the “Business@School” competition – would like to reduce the risk of falls with this smart mat. FFH reports that the StepSafer is a slip-resistant mat that was specifically designed for stairs standardized in Germany.

These innovative mats consist of pressure-sensitive sensors that analyze steps in real time when walking up stairs. The system can cover up to 18 levels and detects falls using trained movement patterns and specially developed software. A big advantage is that in the event of a fall, a predetermined contact person is automatically notified. The attacked person can communicate with the contact person via a loudspeaker, which can be life-saving in critical situations.

The fall prevention market

Falls are a common cause of injuries and mobility restrictions, especially among people in need of care, especially in institutions. Compared to classic solutions, such as bell mats, which are often only positioned in front of the bed and therefore only have a limited detection area, the StepSafer offers a more comprehensive solution for climbing stairs. Unfortunately, conventional systems can often lead to false alarms. [Livy Care explains that the outdated solutions offer simple advantages such as low acquisition costs and easy application. But they also have their disadvantages, including the possibility of manipulation by the user and inadequate movement analysis.

The Livy sensor station, on the other hand, represents the modern solution for fall detection. It uses a combination of radar-based motion detection and computer vision, which not only reduces the false alarm rate, but also enables more precise motion analysis. In contrast to the doorbell mat, the Livy sensor station can be mounted on the ceiling and thus ensures room-wide detection, which is particularly advantageous in bathrooms.

The path to production

The four Darmstadt students are currently in the process of developing prototypes. The price for their innovative solution is expected to be between 500 and 650 euros. With the smart mat, their goal is not only to protect older people from falls, but also to give their relatives a feeling of security. This motivation is particularly important considering that supporting and caring for older people is playing an increasingly larger role in our society.

With the right mix of creativity and technical know-how, the StepSafer may be on the market as early as next year and make a valuable contribution to fall prevention. Especially at a time when the population is getting older, any support is welcome - there is something to be said!