StA²BLE2.0

Falls are critical to the health of the elderly, but existing assessment methods (gait tests, comprehensive judgment by doctors, etc.) are difficult to quantify and time-consuming. In addition, they often overlook sensory function (tactile/balance) impairment by only looking at muscle strength or relying on subjective questionnaires.

Even with specialized equipment in hospitals, examinations take more than an hour and patient cooperation is difficult, making regular follow-up management challenging. In a situation where there was no solution to easily monitor the risk of falls at home or in nursing homes, StA²BLE 2.0 aimed to fill this gap.

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StA²BLE 2.0 is the first in the world to introduce an innovative balance assessment technique using vibration. By applying a special vibration device to the sole of the subject's foot to"Virtual Light Touch"is induced, and then body sway data is collected for 60 seconds on a force plate.

A cloud algorithm analyzes this to assess the elderly's physical balance ability and tactile/sensory function. Existing methods only looked at muscle strength/gait, but this product differentiates itself by quantifying sensory function weakening as a risk factor for falls.

The result report provides posture sway indicators, balance scores, and sensory scores, and also guides customized exercises to strengthen weakened areas for each individual. It can be measured in 1 minute without an expert, so caregivers or non-experts can use it, and doctors and family members can share it via the cloud, increasing management efficiency. It has already been introduced in several domestic hospitals and manufacturing sites and its effectiveness has been recognized, and it approaches fall prevention as the only solution that includes sensory training.

Major customers include elderly care facilities and hospital rehabilitation departments (B2B). For example, nursing homes can periodically measure the risk of falls for elderly residents and use it for exercise prescriptions, or hospital physical therapy rooms can use it to evaluate and train balance recovery for rehabilitation patients.

AlsoSafety management department at industrial sites (B2B)can check the balance ability of elderly workers and use it as a reference for placement, orInsurance companies (B2B)can purchase it for check-up services for senior insurance subscribers.Local public health centers or local government welfare centers (B2G)can also introduce it as part of community elderly health programs and hold free check-up events.

If the price drops and it becomes easier to use in the future,Households with elderly people who are concerned about falls (B2C)may also purchase it on a small scale, but at this stage, distribution to institutions is more likely.

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The demand for fall prevention technology is very high due to the increasing elderly population worldwide. StA²BLE is already installed in dozens of domestic hospitals and facilities and is showing effectiveness, so global references are also expected. Because it is cloud-based, it is easy to link with remote medical systems in each country.

In the future, the prediction accuracy can be improved with AI, or it can be linked with wearables to expand into everyday monitoring products. For example, it can be developed into a service that detects real-time balance abnormalities by linking with a smartwatch.

Currently, it is a static measurement, but if it is combined with a dynamic gait analysis sensor in the future, it can be expanded into a comprehensive fall risk assessment platform. In terms of regulations, the barrier to entry is relatively low for healthcare devices, so entry into North America and the EU is expected to be easy.

On the other hand, lowering equipment prices and standardizing usage education remain challenges for wider commercialization. Also,Follow-up measures for fall prevention (exercise program)If the effect of is continuously proven and insurance coverage is obtained, the market will grow explosively.

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The CES judging panel selected StA²BLE 2.0 for the Innovation Award, saying it is *"a solution that is essential in the aging era."* Industry experts commented that *"it is surprising that it measures and improves sensory functions that have been overlooked until now,"* and gave the opinion that *"it is realistic because it can be operated by non-professional personnel such as nurses."

In fact, domestic institutions that have introduced the product have given satisfactory feedback that *"we were able to predict the risk of falls in the elderly and take action in advance with a test that takes less than 5 minutes"* (product promotional materials). However, some medical staff mentioned that *"balance ability is a combination of various factors, so it is difficult to make a complete evaluation with only 1 minute of measurement,"* and that guidance is needed on how far to use it as a reference.

Overall, the prevailing positive evaluation is that *"the technological innovation is high and it is socially useful,"* and in the market,"Domestic technology that has already been tried and recognized in hospitals and facilities is going global"showed expectations.

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