Comparison of machine learning approaches for near-fall-detection with motion sensors.

Introduction: Falls are one of the most common causes of emergency hospital visits in older people. Early recognition of an increased fall risk, which can be indicated by the occurrence of near-falls, is important to initiate interventions.

Methods: In a study with 87 subjects we simulated near-fall events on a perturbation treadmill and recorded them with inertial measurement units (IMU) at seven different positions.