Android Fall Detector Apps

Research

• 2016-09-26 Info from Joanneum, Graz, Austria:
  • URLs etc
    • www . regionaal . at / en / 100 elderly households coordinated "Active and Assisted Living (AAL)" Research from Graz, AUSTRIA
    • "newish" China smartwatches, full Android (4.4 or 5.1), have a SIM card slot and GPS
      
    • Manufacturers of some watches
      • No1 D5 watch
      • finow with x3 plus and x5 plus
    • plus . google . com / u / 0 / communities / 109827242607524552712 "Round Android Smartwatches- Custom Faces & Apps" "6,452 members - Public" @ 2016-11-22
  • Links found by by jhs@ as examples:
    • www . finowatch . com/
    • www . gearbest . com / smart - watch - phone / pp_333994 . html FINOW X5 3G Smartwatch Phone - SILVER
    • www . pcadvisor . co . uk / review / smart - watches / finow - x5 - review - smartwatch - meets - smartphone - watch - 3638955 / "Finow X5 review: Smartwatch meets smartphone watch with this £100 Android watch Finow X5 review: Smartwatch meets smartphone watch with this £100 Android watch"
    • No1 D5 watch
      • http://www.gearbest.com/smart-watches/pp_281719.html Flash Sale Price EUR 77
      • en . 001phone . cn / product - no - 1 - d5 - smart - watch - android - 4 . 4 - smartwatch - 116 . html
• 2015-08 Analysis of Android Device-Based Solutions for Fall Detection "many smartphone-based fall detections systems have been proposed by the research literature during the last five years, while there is a decreasing number of new prototypes that are implemented on special-purpose hardware." + "in many low-end Android smartphones, the sensors are not fully operative while the processor remains in a sleep mode, even if a background sensing application is being executed. Thus, the developers of a fall detecting system are obliged to implement a "wake lock" to prevent the processor from entering in a low consumption mode. However wake locks provoke an important increase in the battery drain" + "The advantages of using an Android smartwatch (instead of a smartphone) to track the movements are the ease and comfort of use, the high quality of acquired sensor data, the minimum weight and the low power consumption characteristics [160]. However, the high and permanent mobility of the wrist is usually distant from being a good indicator of the body stability."
• 2014-06-25 Comparison and Characterization of Android-Based Fall Detection Systems pdf 32 page.
• A review of reviews: BioMed Eng Online, 2013: USA National Center for Biotechnology Information,
  2013-07-06: "Challenges, issues and trends in fall detection systems" See sections "Wearable devices" & "Smartphone built-in accelerometer"
• Research Papers - Some Cost to buy ! A shame publicly funded research is not free ! - so marked in Red
• 2012-09-04: $42 A smartphone-based fall detection system - In Pervasive and Mobile Computing 2012-12, by Stefano Abbate, Marco Avvenuti, Francesco Bonatesta, Guglielmo Cola, Paolo Corsini, Alessio Vecchio, "This paper presents a smartphone-based fall detection system ... includes novel techniques for the recognition ... erroneously mis-detected as falls.
• 2013: $80 eBook: Mobile Phone-Based Fall Detectors: Ready for Real-World Scenarios? ebook, pp 453-459, Copyright 2013, by Raul Igual, Carlos Medrano, Lourdes Martin, Inmaculada Plaza "study aims to clarify the impact of two features: the accelerometer sampling frequency and the way the mobile phone is carried. In this experimental study, 5 participants have simulated different falls and activities of daily living. Using these data, the study shows that the sampling frequency affects the performance of the detection. In the same way, when a fall detector intended to be attached at the body is carried in an external accessory, the performance of the system decreases."
• Wikipedia "Aging in place" Refs.

Products (Hardware)

• Ali Baba Wholesale Index $ 120 - 220

• Products with Bluetooth but no WLAN

  • FitBit Charge 2 @ 2017-02

    Notes from their web:

    They stupidly use IP number to force switch to German site, despite my

    HTTP_ACCEPT_LANGUAGE="en,fr;q=0.8,de;q=0.7,it;q=0.5,nl;q=0.3,sp;q=0.2"

    shown by http://www.berklix.net/cgi-bin/printenv
    so I kept forcing it back to English by editing 'de' to 'us' in URL.
    https://www.fitbit.com
    https://www.fitbit.com/de/charge2
    https://www.fitbit.com/us/charge2
    $130
    battery <= 5 day
    Track steps, distance
    Connect to your phone's GPS to see real-time run stats like pace and distance on your wrist, and a map of your route post-workout.
    See call, text & calendar alerts on your wrist to keep your phone out of sight
    Charge 2 syncs wirelessly & automatically to 200+ iPhone, Android and Windows devices.
    
    https://www.fitbit.com/de/shop/charge2?activeFeature=specs
    https://www.fitbit.com/us/shop/charge2?activeFeature=specs
    Sensors & Components

    • Optical heart rate tracker
    • 3-axis accelerometer
    • Altimeter
    • Vibration motor

    Display OLED
    Battery type: Lithium-polymer
    Charge time: One to two hours
    Radio transceiver: Bluetooth 4.0
    Sweat, rain and splash proof. However, the device is not swim proof or shower proof.
    Bluetooth LE wireless
    Syncing range: Up to 30 feet
    Syncs with MAC & MS & Android 4.3 and later,
    
    https://www.fitbit.com/de/devices
    https://www.fitbit.com/us/devices
    Adjust your volume and play, pause or switch songs from your smartphone with a simple tap.
    calendar alerts appear on your tracker's display when your phone is nearby.
    
    Another reason to Lie To Fitbit apps & Not tell them your real name, address etc: (though Google will take that from app store or registered device name)

    From: "Fitbit" @lt;noreply@e.fitbit.com> Subject: Fitbit Joins Google Date: Thu, 14 Jan 2021 10:35:08 -0600

    I'm writing today to let you know that Fitbit is now officially part of Google. It's an incredibly exciting moment for us as a company and for our Fitbit community of users around the globe.

    
    Android Apps

    • https://play.google.com/store/search?q=fitbit
    • https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fitbit.FitbitMobile&rdid=com.fitbit.FitbitMobile
    • http://fitbit.com/setup diverts to German
      https://www.fitbit.com/de/setup Unwanted
      https://www.fitbit.com/uk/setup in English
      https://www.fitbit.com/us/setup in English
      then configures to bluetooth asks a load of personal questions, forces replies & acquiescence
      (else discard purchased watch, which is contrary to UK law as decided in NCP appeals court: only conditions presented & accepted in advance of purchase are binding!),
      forces agreement to export data to America,
      contravenes European Union law
      , Configures in English, then installs unwanted inappropriate German intro text as "Charge 2 101 Guide".
      Fitbit are internationally incompetent.

    
    Conclusions

    • Ignoring their prime purpose (health/ exercise monitoring), one might want to keep it just as a pedometer & to show who is phoning your mobile.
    • FitBit Charge 2 might be used to monitor elderly: with an android phone nearby to measure person's heart rate, presumably rate goes high when they fall over, for a bit. The 3 accelerometers would be a clearer guide to a fall, but whether fitbit app or a competitor app might be used for an alert, I haven't investigated.
    • FitBit Charge 2 doesn't have a SIM card or GPS or WLAN, so is reliant on Bluetooth to adjacent smart phone.
    • Tough if caught cycling in rain, more than a splash.

• Hannspree Bluetooth 4.0 Sport Watch GBP 30, Spec:

  "MCU: NRF51822, ARM Cortex M0 16GHz
  Bluetooth 4.0 BLE
  G Sensor: Yes
  Display: 0.68" OLED
  Vibration: Yes
  Message notification: Yes
  Pedometer function: Yes
  Sleep monitoring: Yes
  Weight loss tracking: Yes
  Alarm clock: Yes
  Stand-by time: 5-8 Days
  Battery 50mA/H
  *Please note: You will need iOS 7 or later or Android 4.3 or later"
  
  An output to fit human device, not appropriate for fall detection/alarm scenarios.
• en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Android_Wear Wrist Watch on arm. - But all are just bluetooth, No Wlan, except Apple Watch which is not Android but has WLAN
• extremetech. com -- apple- watch- vs- android- wear Sept. 2014
  [VW:] The apple watch out 2015-04-01 will have 18 hour battery life
• en. wikipedia. org/ Pebble_ watch Not Android.
  2015 March Pebble Kickstarter project is way over subscribed
• tunstall. co. uk/ news/ 345/ automatic- fall- protection- alarm- launched- for- elderly
  tunstall. co. uk SDevice + Stats on UK injury and mortality.
• Fitbands some pretty basic, just monitoring stuff with only BT=Bluetooth and NFC=Near Field Communication, up to high spec smart watches with everything and more within.
• sonymobile. com/ global- en/ search/ Sony SWR30, but the lack of Wifi and to a lesser extent GPS rules this out.
• android. com/ wear/ full blown smart watch off the shelf. Page is in German, probably daft sniffing of browser IP, and ignoring HTTP_ ACCEPT_LANGUAGE ="en, de;q=0.8, fr;q=0.5, it;q=0.3"
• samsung. com/ global/ microsite/ gears/ gears_specs. html Tizen apparently compatible with Android apps, but proprietary to Samsung. Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Heart Rate, Ambient Light, UV, Barometer, WiFi :802.11 b/g/n, A-GPS/Glonass, Bluetooth® : 4.1, USB 2.0, 300mAh Li-ion
• battery life. The Sony has a 3 day life, some of the dedicated fitness trackers are longer but all the smart watches have a battery life of less than a day.
• Some of the smaller Android that one might glue a wrist strap to, tend to be older models, perhaps too old to run some Fall Detector apps ? Or with insufficient detector devices inside ? There are apps that list all internal sensors.
• dhgate. com/ price/ wifi- wristband- price. html A load of wrist bands with Wifi:
• DECT wrist phone 2 devices, neither look great.
  • pivotell. co. uk/ Minifone. htm Dials 3 numbers. 85 GBP + VAT
  • homecontrols. com/ PowerTel- 601- Wireless- DECT- Wrist- Shaker- for- PowerTel- Series- AM93343 Shaker and LEDs for incoming,
  A load of Chinese stuff in this general area too, but they all look to be Bluetooth (no good for between rooms and to garden, only good for eg various devices on same human or close adjacent other humans. LK added:
  "Bluetooth class 1 devices can transmit up to 20dBm, i.e. 100mW. This should work up to 100m or more with a good antenna. It might be worth revisiting some of those fitness devices to see what class BT device they are."
• aliexpress. com/ premium/ wrist- watch- mobile- phone. html
• samsung . com / us / mobile / wearable - tech / all-products
• • 2015_04_13: Gear# Fit "The world's first curved 1.84" Super AMOLED® display."
    $150 samsung . com - SM-R3500ZKAXAR
    "27 grams, ... designed to run up to three full days on a single charge" "a companion device for Select Samsung Galaxy smartphones" Links to a smart phone via bluetooth. No WLAN
  • cnet.com - A review of Gear Live
• Samsung Gear 2 - Unveiled 2014_02_22 - wikipedia Bluetooth. No WLAN.

Products with WiFi (WLAN) (as well)

• Magazine Articles:
  • techweekeurope . co . uk - June 26, 2014 --- Google Announces First Android Wear Smartwatches
  • techweekeurope . co . uk / e - innovation / android - wear - major - update
    April 21, 2015 --- Android Wear Gets Wi-Fi Support, Gesture Controls And `Always On' Apps

•   Samsung Gear

  • NO - Just Bluetooth.
  • wikipedia.org
  • Android

•   Samsung Gear 2

  • No just Bluetooth low energy, Infrared
  • wikipedia.org
  • Tizen
  • NO Probably
  • en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Samsung_Gear_2
  • Don't know about WLAN & GPS & Accelerometer
  • samsung.com/uk Manual 3.7 M 78 page pdf
  • Superceded by   Samsung Gear S

•   Samsung Gear S

  • YES, Bluetooth low energy, 3G, WIFI
  • Curved square
  • Released 2014_11_07 - Wikipedia
  • USA samsung . com -- SM-R750TZKATMB (T-Mobile)
  • Prices
    • $ 350 @ 2015_04_13
    • UK: samsung . com SM-R7500ZKABTU GBP 329.00 @ 2015_04_13
    • Idealo.de 320-350 Euro July 2016
  • OS= Tizen Reading around, not yet clear if & how much that's compatible with Android (eg Fall Detector etc) Apps ?

    play . google . com / store / apps / details ? id = com . samsung . android . app . watchmanager says: "Keyword : Gear, GearS2, GearFit2, Samsung, SamsungGear, Manager, GearManager" - "This application is for Gear S2 and Gear Fit2." Note it doesn't list Gear S (maybe that's assumed ?)

  • P 33 of 67Meg "User Manual" says: "Can only un-install apps via smartphone, ... refer to Samsung Gear app."
    P. 53: A long phone call may over heat & drop out.
  • P. 81 of 105M SM-R750_UM_EU_Tizen_Eng_Rev.1.4_150106.pdf : No hint of Tizen/ Android compatibility or Samsung/ Tizen app store address.
  • play . google . com / store / search ? q=Tizen
  • Samsung Gear S Apps - Index
  • Samsung Apps - Index
  • Samsung Gear S Demo/ Sales App
  • It has a SIM card for GSM & UMTS, Bluetooth, WLAN/WiFi, GPS (& also for Russian GLONASS ( support in most smart phones as of 2015 inc for Samsung & my Galaxy Note 3 but not [yet?] for Gear ))
  • Sensors: Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro, Geomagnetic, HR (heart rate), Light
  • • en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Samsung_Gear_S
      http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_gear_s-6620.php
    • Samsung.com/uk Nano-SIM , Wi-Fi, GPS, Glonass, Accelerometer, Geomagnetic Sensor,

•   Samsung Gear S2 (3G)

  • NO
  • en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Samsung_Gear_S2 watch size. Released Oct 2015 includes WLAN, inc. phone (on the 3G model), Accelerometer, but No GPS unlike older bigger Gear S.
  • samsung.com/uk
  • att.com The USA phone co., selling "GPS Trackers & Locators for Kids" eg Samsung Gear S2 etc

• Other Embedded Products

  • BUDDI Last updated 2016-07-07

    • buddi.co.uk/
    • BBC Podcast worldbiz_20150416-2101b.mp3 inc. Sara Murray, Founder and CEO, Buddi
      GBP 250 + 5/week.
    • 2016-07 GBP 250 + GBP 5 per week, or rent 10 GBP/Week, So break even in 50 weeks ~ 1 year
    • Wrist band + separate button called a Buddi, Alert button, Fall detect accelerometer, GPS, 24/7 Emergency Monitoring Centre, wristband will vibrate and flash blue when alerting. Wrist band has no display. Battery 2 days, recharge 4 hours. Buddi comes supplied with an EU-wide roaming SIM as standard. Metal + rubber wrist strap might be annoying/ allergic ? Maybe an Android watch + leather strap might be less so ?
    • Also for prisoner monitoring.
    • Buddi out sourced management of wireless networks to Wyless.com
    • Aberdeen council also supply them "should be charged for at least 4 hours. every day"
    • Carers UK
      Carers UK
    • Old article by daily mail 23 December 2014
  • "Just Checking" - Not a fall detector but a movement monitor.
    • www . justchecking . co . uk GBP 3 a day, movement detectors.
    • www . aberdeencity . gov . uk / nmsruntime / saveasdialog . asp ? lID = 26882 & sID = 8056
    • http :// www . aberdeencity . gov . uk / nmsruntime / saveasdialog . asp ? lID = 43144 & sID = 19045
  • http:// medical - alert - systems - review . toptenreviews . com/
    Medical Alert Systems Review REVIEWS AND COMPARISONS , USA $
  • There's some red button service NHS or council provide free at least in England
  • UK Gov. press release Published 11 March 2024 "Further agreement with telecoms firms to protect vulnerable customers"

  •   ageuk.org.uk

    • GBP 69 + 3.5/week
    • up to 50 metres
    • no SIM - how good would reception be
    • via normal phone line + base unit round a large house ?
    • No GPS as only works at home.
    • fully waterproof

  • help alarm ha28

    • personalalarms.com GBP 60 @ 2016-07-22
    • 2016 mail order from I think completecareshop.co.uk
      Local copy of help_alarm_ha28_manual.pdf HELP ALARM HA28 Manual
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqV-7aYMOig from http://personalalarms.com
    • Youtube demo
    • No GPS, No SIM, fits on terrestrial phone line.
    • Wireless to 2 buttons hang round necks.
    • Calls up to 3 numbers, several times.
    • Apparently called out when it shouldn't have - did it get knocked ? or RF interference ? Or weak switch ? Or Switch needs more physical shielding ?
  • Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England issue some device I have no more info... Yet.
  • a thetrackr.com A cheap (35 EU) Bluetooth proximity + GPS, but no fall detector. Price 2016-10 from: smartdevicetrends . de / trackr - car06 . html

  • Your Stride yourstride.com

    • Wristwatch fall detector + service: 60 GBP + 20 GBP/month. Rec. 2025-04 from LK@ in UK.
    • Other Wearables may be found in Magazine Articles

  • Others

    Maybe searching for

    • Activity Trackers
      Some may be usable via remote access to logs of GPS position & accelerometer data. Here's some from 1 shop conrad.de
    • Or: "Pet Tracker Android" or "Kid Tracker Android" might provide similar but cheaper devices, but not necessarily with fall detectors, but maybe it might also discover some extra manufacturers who sell both.

• Key Safe

  All devices, if alerting from home, will also need a Key Safe outside front door, to let rescue crew in. Make sure key safe is as strong & as secured to wall as front door of house.