Intelligent Fall Protection is a project sponsored by Finnsecurity, a registered safety and security association in Finland, whose goal is to increase respect for citizen security and develop operational opportunities. Finnsecurity has asked our design team to address the problem of human falls in an outdoor, slippery environment.
Outdoor, ice-related slips and falls are a leading cause of hospitalization in Finland and in other countries located in cold climates. Not only are falls painful for the individual who falls, but they are also a major burden for the society as a whole. For example, the treatment of one hip fracture caused by a fall is estimated to cost almost $20,000. Altogether, the annual costs of fall injury treatment add up to $500 million in Finland. The corresponding costs are $20 billion in the USA, with projections of them rising up to $55 billion by year 2020.
The specific focus of this project is “fall mitigation,” meaning reducing or eliminating physical injury as a fall occurs. The solution must be “person centric” (not environment-based), portable, easy-to-use and effective. The solution must also function with minimal false alarms, while looking pleasant and enabling the users to recover from a fall by themselves.
The concept of the Kupla Coat is designed to provide effective, discreet and easy-to-use fall protection integrated into a common article of clothing used daily in outdoor, icy environments. The specific use situation of the Kupla Coat occurs when the user senses an increased risk of falling. He or she can then activate the protective system hidden inside the jacket by the press of a single button located on the sleeve of the jacket. The press of the button inflates three air cushions inside the jacket providing the user protection against hip and head injuries in the case of a fall. After the perceived risk of falling decreases, the user can then press the button again to deflate the air cushions and bring the jacket back to its normal stage.
Instead of wearing uncomfortable, bulky padding as fall protection, the Kupla Coat allows the user to easily get extra protection when it’s needed – and turn it off when it’s not needed. For example, walking across an icy parking lot calls for fall protection, while sitting in the car doesn’t. A fall protection system controlled by the user eliminates false alarms and provides a sense of safety and reliability for the user. Fall protection technology integrated into a commonly used, comfortable to wear, person-centric item also lowers the threshold for its daily use.
