Researchers in Singapore have developed a wearable assistive robot that can detect and prevent a fall before it happens, reducing the user’s risk of sustaining injuries. The robot can also be used to aid patients’ rehabilitation.

Called the Mobile Robotic Balance Assistant or MRBA (pronounced ‘Mister-Bah’), the robot uses its built-in sensors to instantly detect a loss of balance and catch the user with its attached safety harness, which is worn around the user’s hips.

The device would also help users who have difficulty in walking and balancing to safely stand up from a seated position and sit down from a standing position. It uses a depth-sensing camera to observe the user’s movements, while machine-learning algorithms estimate the balance state of the user in real time to better predict any future imbalances or falls.

Intended for use with minimal caregiver help in both facility/community and home settings, it can assist people with limited or reduced mobility in day-to-day tasks, such as entering and exiting elevators, opening doors, getting dressed, performing simple kitchen chores, and tasks such as watering plants.

In clinical trials involving 29 participants, including patients who sustained a stroke, traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury, MRBA successfully helped with sitting, standing, and walking, as well as in tasks like fetching water. No falls were recorded in the trials, which spanned three days per participant.

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