A few years ago, my Grandpa fell in his workshop. Nobody was there to assist him immediately, and it was only when my mom found him on the floor that he was given medical attention. Due to this gap in communication, he suffered from a hip fracture. I recognized just how significant of an issue this was and sought to develop a device that would mitigate elder fall injuries.

I immediately thought to create an airbag system, as many of the airbag devices I found online were made overseas and weren't FDA-approved. However, given my limited resources, I opted to create a fall-detection device that would alert a phone. This was a plausible way to immediately notify someone (most likely a caretaker with a phone) when a fall has occurred, as they would be able to treat a victim to their needs.

FallWatch pairs with a hip sensor and detects falls from elders. The app user/caretaker is notified through the app when a fall is detected. Other information, such as the time of the fall and a fall history log, is easily accessible.

My name is Richard Lin, and I am a senior at Phillips Academy Andover. I am originally from California but attend school in Massachusetts. At school, I am a part of the golf and squash teams. I love jamming out on the piano and the guitar, and I am a huge fan of the Classics (ancient Greek and Latin).