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"Smart" brace designed to keep elderly from falling

smart brace

CNN reports that a group of Stanford University students have designed a vibrating ankle brace intended to help the elderly avoid falls. The device uses a chip that monitors the position of the wearer's ankle—if it detects a roll it deems dangerous, the brace will vibrate, sending a signal to the person's brain that they need to correct their position. They say the development of the device is still at the preliminary stages, however, and that it requires more testing. Let's just hope they test it on themselves before surprising grandma with an early birthday present.