Augmented Reality Motion Tracking Technology for Fall Risk Assessment and Exercise Intervention in a Community Setting

One in four seniors fall annually, leading to unnecessary hospitalizations and decreased independence, with existing in-person fall prevention programs limited by access, scheduling, and cost. KINIMA Seniors is a newly developed automated interactive exercise and movement app providing real-time visual and audio feedback to assess and reduce risk of falls in seniors, using our proprietary augmented reality motion capture system. KINIMA Seniors introduces an innovative, scalable solution through a mobile app, assessing and reducing fall risks without the need for on-body sensors. It allows seniors to engage in exercises that enhance strength, balance, and gait, displayed alongside a virtual trainer with visual and audio cues for improving physical performance.

Methods:

20 sessions lasting 45 minutes were conducted over 10 weeks in 4 US Senior Centers using the KINIMA Seniors interactive movement platform. During the 1st and last sessions, the KINIMA system's computer vision data capture technology was employed to assess our 4 measures related to the risk of falls, and these measurements were compared with human observer-derived data in both the initial and final assessments. 26 participants completed the sessions with 4 dropouts. Assessment measures were: 1) One-Legged Stance test (left and right), 2) # of Leg Lifts in 30 seconds (left and right), 3) # of Sit to Stand repetitions in 30 seconds, 4) Timed Up and Go.

Results:

This study demonstrated improved fall risk outcomes were achieved in pre/post measures, technical feasibility, likeability of our automated exercise features, and accuracy of automated fall risk measures.

Conclusion:

KINIMA Seniors can deliver a cost-effective and scalable offering for fall prevention targeting enterprises that cater to seniors, such as senior day centers, senior living, and physical therapy. This technology facilitates independent aging in place and also offers a personalized exercise regimen with performance tracking to significantly enhance quality of life.