Electronic textile experts from the Nottingham School of Art and Design have developed a new type of smart socks that can alert elderly people to the risk of falling, with an accuracy rate of over 94%. This intelligent sock can also alert family members or emergency personnel to take measures as soon as possible after an elderly person falls. The research was published in the latest issue of the journal Materials. Falls can have a devastating impact on the lives of elderly people. Real-time reminders to caregivers and medical professionals that elderly people have fallen can help save lives. A micro motion sensor is embedded in the ankle of the smart sock and connected to devices such as mobile phones through a removable microcontroller with Bluetooth. The electronic circuitry embedded in the sock is very small and does not affect comfort. In addition, the motion sensor is encapsulated in resin, so this smart sock can be cleaned just like ordinary clothes. Researchers have also developed an algorithm to process data to detect whether the wearer has experienced unusual movements and distinguish between falls or near falls. Once the smart sock detects that the elderly person has actually fallen, it will alert emergency personnel to take life-saving actions if necessary. Human experiments have shown that the accuracy rate of the intelligent sock for detecting falls is 99.4%, and the accuracy rate for approaching falls is 94.2%. (Liao Xinshe)