The Zibrio SmartScale now works with the Balance Coach app to provide balance measurements and provide improvement tips.
The Consumer Technology Association named the SmartScale an Innovation Awards Honoree at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show.
The project was born out of the U.S. space program and uses machine learning to discover patterns of stability and instability through a one-minute test. The scale provides a balance score of between 1 and 10 — with scores of 1 to 3 indicating a fall risk, and 7 or higher showing good balance. A lower score is associated with an increased risk of falling in adults aged 65 and over. Upon completion of the balance test, the platform displays the balance score and lights up red, yellow or green to communicate the score’s fall-risk level.
The Zibrio Pro for healthcare, senior living and fitness professionals includes professional support bundle for training, maintenance and engagement.
“Current physical check-ups don’t have an objective measure for balance, so patients typically can’t get help for balance problems until they actually fall,” said CEO and co-founder Katharine Forth, Ph.D. “For many, that’s too late. Every 19 minutes an older adult dies from fall related injuries in the U.S. alone. We want to decrease that risk.”
The scale’s accompanying mobile app, Zibrio Balance Coach, pairs with the scale and can be used to operate the balance test, if desired. The app offers personalized insights into the user’s balance score by helping the user to understand which lifestyle factors may be helping or hurting their score.
Used together, the Zibrio Balance Coach app and SmartScale are intended to be a system to help users improve their balance by making healthier lifestyle choices.
