Fall prevention with AR glasses

Older people have a much higher risk of falls and serious injury arising from a fall. Researchers involved in the “Augmented Balance" project aim to develop augmented reality (AR) glasses to help improve balance and prevent falls.

In this MEDICA-tradefair.com interview, Dr. Assländer talks about the AR glasses and explains how their use of virtual patterns can help reduce the risk of falls in older adults.

Dr. Assländer, how did you come up with the idea for the wearable AR glasses?

Dr. Lorenz Assländer: The AR glasses resulted from an interdisciplinary project. The University of Konstanz campus offers great opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration with other working groups. We tested how virtual reality can be used to carry out equilibrium experiments in different scenarios. The research showed that our balance is affected by the structure of what we see. We might not always be aware of this fact because most sensory processing is accomplished outside conscious notice. Given these scenarios, we wondered whether because of the age-related decline in sensory information processing, older adults lack sufficient visual information during these moments and are thus at an increased risk of falling. For example, if this age group stands in front of a white wall, the retinal image doesn’t change for them, even if the person tilts to one side. Suddenly, the visual system no longer guides the person’s balance. This is where we came up with the idea of using augmented reality. The thought was to use AR glasses to insert additional information hoping to improve spatial orientation in these types of situations.

How do the AR glasses work?

Assländer: Right now, we are still working out the details. One aspect pertains to the content we want to select and present. Generally, looking through AR glasses is best described like this: You get a view of the physical real-world environment with a superimposed high contrast wallpaper. We are presently deliberating whether this should be a continuous setting, whether it should be superimposed based on brightness, and how large the orientation points should be. One option would be to display a kind of grid or chessboard pattern without it being distracting. It needs to target the periphery to avoid situations where the person suddenly sees a crosshair overlay on the other person’s nose for example.

Why did you specifically choose an AR solution to prevent falls in older adults?

Assländer: It is the only technical solution we could think of that specifically augments this type of visual information. What’s more, older adults are actually very receptive of virtual reality technologies. The rehabilitation sector has already had great success with these tools. Assistive technologies are likewise increasingly popular in everyday life. Whether the glasses feed additional data into the wearer’s field of vision or not: if the technology works effectively, older adults will embrace it.

What are the next steps in your project?

Assländer: We have just obtained funding for the next two years. We must work on content based on the first proof of concept, demonstrating that the wearable AR system is effective if we superimpose additional information for improving balance. We are currently designing technical enhancements to cover a wide field of view. Our research also aims to expand the capabilities of augmented reality. Virtual reality already allows us to achieve a lot, but the next step is to overlay additional information onto the real-world environment using AR technology. The goal during the two-year period of project funding is to develop a prototype that works as a user-friendly tool.

How could AR glasses be further enhanced?

Assländer: Falls are a complex issue. For now, our AR glasses project only studies one specific area in which falls can occur. One of the most obvious applications of AR glasses in the future pertains to identifying trip and fall hazards and making them more visible. This may involve cameras that detect potential trip hazards and flag them visually with bright warning signs.

Could the technology be applied in other areas of healthcare?

Assländer: Sensor technology in everyday life is another great option. To superimpose the respective image, you must first measure and track the head position and movement in space. Given the requisite sensors, AR glasses could also be used as a tool for diagnostics, similar to a smartwatch or a cell phone. This would allow you to measure head position and movements and collect data that might benefit preventive health and diagnostics. The technology could also support other sectors and be used in balance and coordination sports.