Spacetalk Launches Fall Detection Technology for Seniors

Highlights

• Fall Detection launched on all Spacetalk LIFE smartphone watches for seniors
• Enabled automatically via a free over-the-air upgrade
• Ground-breaking new technology incorporating real time data recording and triangulation, Artificial Intelligence ("AI"), and machine learning; continually enhancing its high accuracy in real time as more people use the devices
• World-first for devices designed for seniors and people with special needs

SYDNEY, June 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Spacetalk Ltd. (ASX:SPA) ("Spacetalk" or "Company"), developer of innovative technologies that keep families safe and connected, is pleased to announce the release of Fall Detection on all Spacetalk LIFE smartphone watches for seniors via a free over-the-air upgrade.

To learn more about Spacetalk's smartphone GPS watches and app platform, and the Company, visit: https://www.spacetalkwatch.com/. Investor Centre: https://investors.spacetalkwatch.com/.

Fall Detection is a significant enhancement to Spacetalk LIFE, incorporating breakthrough technology and considerably broadening its use-case and marketability as an assistive device.

Falls are the second leading cause of accidental injury and deaths worldwide. Among the most vulnerable are adults aged 65 years+ who make up most of those who experience serious falls. Falls are Australia's largest contributor to hospitalised injury cases and a leading cause of injury deaths. In 2017–18, 42% of hospitalised injury cases (222,725 hospitalisations; 898 per 100,000 population) and 40% of injury deaths (5,156 deaths; 20.8 per 100,000 population) were due to falls.^[1] Falls can happen to anyone at any location, but falls requiring hospitalisation are more common in older people, with more than 1 in 3 elderly Australians experiencing a fall each year.

58% of hospitalisations for accidental falls (128,926 hospitalisations; 3,347 per 100,000 population) and 95% of falls causing death (4,873 deaths; 126.5 per 100,000 population) were for 65+ year olds.^[2]

How the technology works

Accurate Fall Detection is a complex process that not only involves the real time analysis of the wearer's movement data but also the real time application of this data to the person's individual anthropometric, medical and other critical personal information.

Spacetalk's onboarding process collects wearers' base fall associated data, which includes age, height, weight, gender, fall history, medication, psychological condition, dizziness and other information. This is stored in a secure and de-personalised manner on the device and Spacetalk's servers, and is used to calculate the wearers fall risk profile and initial device sensor sensitivity setting.

Spacetalk LIFE devices have built-in intelligent accelerometer and gyroscope sensors, which continuously record and relay data of users' movements, speed and altitude back to Spacetalk servers.

In real time, this data is triangulated with the wearers anthropometric, medical and other critical personal information to determine whether the wearer's current movement should be interpreted as a fall, and if so, activate the Fall Detection Alert process. The wearer has 30 seconds to cancel the Alert process if they are okay or the algorithms calculated a false fall alert. All information and data is used in real time to continuously learn and enhance the accuracy of the overall Fall Detection technology. Updated device firmware and sensor settings are sent as over-the-air updates to the device to improve the technology automatically.

Wearer experience

Once a fall has been detected, the device will vibrate, sound an alarm and display an alert on the watch face for 30 seconds, during which time the wearer can cancel the alarm. If the alarm is not cancelled, it will SMS all emergency contacts an alert with the wearers' location and sequentially call each emergency contact. If none of the contacts respond, emergency services (000) or third party 24/7 emergency responders are contacted. After successfully contacting emergency responders the watch displays a confirmation message to the wearer for 10 seconds to provide them assurance and then switches to displaying the Medical ID functionality for emergency responders to view the user's relevant medical and other critical details.

In developing the technology, the Company worked closely with aged/home care, NDIS and 24/7 emergency services providers to ensure their systems could digitally receive wearers' relevant information and location in the event of a fall or emergency.

Predictive analytics

Spacetalk LIFE's new real time data collection, AI and machine learning technology advancements lay the groundwork for its future potential capabilities to monitor behaviour in order to predict the increasing risk of an oncoming fall or other medical condition.

This technology is breaking new ground and is a step-change and world-first for devices designed for seniors and people with special needs.

Spacetalk Founder and CEO Mark Fortunatow said: "The conception, development and roll-out of these ground-breaking features highlights a uniqueness of Spacetalk amongst smartphone watch manufacturers, and especially in the niche of building purpose-built devices for kids and seniors… We own the entire end-to-end IP, technology and ecosystem. We own the device design, circuitry IP, firmware, apps and servers. And of course, we own the brand. This tightly integrated and seamless in-house approach means we have full control to build amazing new functionality that really sets us apart. It provides real competitive advantages and gives us the flexibility to move towards new business models; where for instance, responsible sharing of data for the benefit of users (engagement, health, safety, etc.) with their consent, becomes the key value proposition."

Medical ID

Included in the Fall Detection release, Spacetalk LIFE now has life-saving Medical ID functionality, which provides emergency services and healthcare professionals with the wearers medical, allergy and other critical personal information, to inform the course of treatment when seconds count.

After an SOS or Fall Detection process has been completed, the watch pulses a bright red display to alert and draw emergency responders' attention to press a button to view the wearer's Medical ID.

A simple on-boarding process has been developed including a VIDEO which makes it user friendly to activate theses new features.

Spacetalk LIFE smartphone devices

First launched in June 2020 as an all-in-one smartphone watch with GPS for older Australians, Spacetalk LIFE's potential to support the journey of ageing – enhancing independence, healthy living, social connectivity, and safety, while providing reassurance and peace of mind to family and friends – has attracted significant interest from aged/home care providers, NDIS providers and Occupational Therapists ("OTs"). 

Other LIFE features include SOS alert, GPS locator, 4G phone, water (shower) proof, medication and other reminders, step counter, wearer's medical history information for emergency responders, and a carer-family app to allow easy communication and enhanced interactions at the wearer's discretion.  

LIFE retails at a price of $399, approximately 40% less than other lower featured devices currently available and requires pairing with the Spacetalk App for a $7.99 per month fee and a 4G SIM. The full cost of the device and the first 12 months of the App fee may be supported by Government funding to eligible persons.

Spacetalk Founder and CEO Mark Fortunatow said: "We've just added tremendous value to our Spacetalk LIFE device and platform. Falls among the elderly is one of the most important public health issues in today's aging society. Together with the NDIS Provider accreditation we announced earlier this week, the opportunity for our company in the senior's category has just taken a big step forward.

By applying real time AI and machine learning, Spacetalk now has arguably the most advanced and accurate Wearable Fall Detection technology on the market.

I am extremely proud of our team who have designed and built this ground-breaking wearable technology. It will make a real and positive impact to wearers' safety and lives."

About Spacetalk Ltd.

Spacetalk Ltd. (ASX: SPA) is a global technology provider of secure communication solutions for families to stay connected and protected.

Spacetalk's range of all-in-one smartphone GPS watches for children (Spacetalk Kids and Spacetalk Adventurer) and seniors (Spacetalk LIFE) are purpose built with tailored features, design qualities and best practice data encryption, security and privacy technologies, for families to stay confidently connected. Fun, fashionable, secure and technologically advanced, Spacetalk devices deliver confidence for the child and senior wearer, enhanced controls for the guardian, and engaging functionalities for the whole family to stay connected.

The Spacetalk App is designed to provide a family environment for fun, engaging and secure media consumption beyond its device control functionalities for the guardian. Every linked contact – parents, grandparents, extended family members and friends – regardless of whether they are Android or iOS users, can interact with linked Spacetalk devices and each other through the Spacetalk App.

Spacetalk was founded in 2001 and listed on the ASX in 2003 as MGM Wireless Limited, which developed the world's first SMS student absence notification platform for schools and went on to become Australia's most successful school messaging Company. On 12 November 2020 the Company changed its name to Spacetalk Ltd.

To learn more about Spacetalk's smartphone GPS watches and app platform, and the Company, visit: https://www.spacetalkwatch.com/. Investor Centre: https://investors.spacetalkwatch.com/.