Smart lamp can automatically call emergency services and open doors for them if someone falls

An AI-powered smart lamp that detects and prevents falls in older adults is now available in the UK and Ireland.

Designed by Nobi, a European provider of assistive technologies, the Nobi smart lamp claims to transform residential care settings’ ability to both prevent and detect falls.

Around a third of people aged 65 and over and around half of all people aged 80 and over fall at least once a year in the UK. Nobi says its lamp offers a solution to this major global issue.

If a resident falls, the lamp detects this immediately and speaks to the resident, asking if they are okay. In the event of no response or a call for help, the lamp is pre-programmed to send a message to either caregivers or family members.

In the event of an emergency, the emergency services are notified with the lamp having the ability to open the door for them.

There is also the ability to send an image to show where in the room the fall has occurred. The Nobi lamp can be pre-programmed in line with the resident’s wishes. They can choose whether or not to share an image should a fall occur and can also opt for the image to be converted to an abstract figure to ensure privacy.

Nobi additionally aims to help prevent falls. When a resident sits upright in bed at night, Nobi will shine soft light upwards to gently illuminate the room. If the person then stands up to go to the bathroom, for example, the smart lamp will illuminate the entire room.

In time, the AI built into the smart lamp will also be able to predict certain falls, preventing more incidents. Changes in walking pace, length of stride, and the person’s posture when sitting will be detected and can be used to alert caregivers of a potential risk.

Speaking about the need for Nobi, Roeland Pelgrims, Nobi Co-Founder and CEO, said: “Falls are the most common cause of fatal injuries, and 50 percent of the elderly who lay on the floor for longer than one hour die within six months of the fall. Quick help after a fall is crucial and equals saving quality years of life.

“Nobi’s ability to communicate immediately with care providers or family members provides peace of mind.”

The Nobi smart lamp has been carefully designed to feel familiar in every interior and, as such, is unobtrusive. It is easily installed with no need for new cables; only a Wifi connection is required.

Nobi is set to play a pivotal role in the use of innovative technologies in care settings as the sector searches for solutions that fit seamlessly into the care environment.

Roeland added: “The population continues to age at a rapid pace. In fact, one-fifth of Europe’s population is currently over 65, and this will be one quarter by 2040.

“This ageing demographic is a tough challenge for all healthcare systems worldwide including the UK and Ireland which are already suffering from an acute shortage of healthcare personnel.”

Against this backdrop, Nobi aims to support care workers in residential care centres and assisted living facilities or hospitals, so they can focus on their core task knowing that the lamp is watching over residents and patients and will alert them in case of a fall.

The lamp also takes repetitive administrative tasks off caregivers’ hands, freeing up time for duties that make a difference.

For example, Nobi can be integrated with devices like smart scales and blood pressure monitors to automatically log health measurements and ensure this data is logged efficiently. Eventually, it will help predict when things might go wrong so that preventative action can be taken.

Alongside residential settings, Nobi has plans for the smart lamp to be used in domestic environments. A consumer market rollout is scheduled for 2023.

Nobi lamps are already in place in a number of settings in Europe. The company has started collaborations with large and small Belgian and international healthcare providers, including nursing homes, assisted living facilities, hospitals, community care, and convalescent homes.

UK distribution is being handled by Porters Care with the Irish market being handled by Medguard, which has a demo room set up at its Ashbourne office in County Meath.

Speaking about Nobi, Porters Care Managing Director David Knowles said: “I came across Nobi several years ago and watched the progress of the smart lamp with interest.

“After speaking to the team and experiencing how the system works, I had no hesitation with us becoming the UK Distributors. The potential is huge for the UK market, it’s a great product, it looks good, is easy to install and, importantly, it works out of the box!”