Edinburgh-based startup Smplicare has secured £750,000 in funding to explore the use of wearable technologies to predict the risk of falls and other age-related health issues.

Provided by UKRI and a host of private investors, the funding will enable Smplicare to embark on one of the UK’s largest research projects involving AI, wearables and older adults.  

As part of the study, 300 individuals over 55 years old with a history of falls will be given a mainstream wearable device, such as Fitbit, Garmin or Polar. 

Using activity data from the wearable devices, Smplicare will create an AI-powered algorithm that can predict the likelihood of a future fall.

Garrett Sprague, CEO & co-founder of Smplicare, commented: “People often say ‘older adults don’t use technology’. That’s just not true anymore. Technology spending for adults over 65 – including wearables – exploded during the pandemic, up 350% by some estimates. It’s not that older people don’t use technology – the reality is that they have a low tolerance for bad technology. 

“By using everyday wearables and digital health devices we’re harnessing the data from devices people already have, to deliver actionable insights that promote wellbeing as we age.” 

He added: “This study is one of the largest ever conducted, and it will provide a huge amount of data that we will use to develop better and better tools to enable individuals to manage their personal health and maintain their independence in later life.”

Helping an ageing population

UK Government figures show close to one-third (30%) of over 65s and half of over-80s fall at least once per year, incidents that cost the NHS more than £4.4bn annually.  

Statistics also show that Britain’s elderly population will grow by more than five million people by 2043, placing huge added pressure on the NHS and health boards as age related issues and illnesses rise. 

According to Smplicare, the study will initially focus on better predicting the likelihood of falls, but the company says it also plans to gather a range of insights impacting the UK’s elderly population – such as body composition, digital inclusion, and behaviour change.

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Brian Hills, CEO, The Data Lab, said: “With pressure growing on the UK’s hospitals, care providers and health boards, this is exactly the type of data-driven innovation the country needs right now.  

“As an ageing nation, we will face multiple health-related challenges in future. AI and data analytics are quickly becoming a go-to approaches to provide solutions to help solve these.  

“Smplicare’s unique approach is squarely focused on improving people’s lives in a meaningful and practical way – a great example of using AI for the greater good.”