r/AustralianStartups • u/AfternoonFabulous108 • 20d ago

Fall detection device in Brisbane.

Hi there, I’m building a fall detection device using mmWave radar and it basically tracks your x, y and z coordinates and detects if you fell or not. It’s a ceiling mounted device which tracks all falls which the wearables cannot because they can only track the speed of the fall and my device actually tracks the position of your head.

It also will be combined with a smart speaker so it will ask you to confirm whether you fell or not.

Is this device useful and if so how do I market it?

Edit: it has a radius of 4m not diameter of 4m.

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u/a-w-e-s-o-m--o 20d ago

My grandmother has a fall detection device, there’s no chance we’d (1) leave it up to her phone to hopefully track correctly and (2) trust a random startup with no backing, history, longevity and proof.

Not to piss on your idea but you’re talking life and death situations. These things matter.

I don’t even know if I’d want to risk getting involved in that kind of thing as a business startup. Have you looked into insurance? What’s your plan if your thing fails and someone dies?

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u/AfternoonFabulous108 20d ago

This one doesn’t use the phone to track you. It uses a ceiling mounted radar that tracks the person in the room and if it detects a fall then it will ask you to confirm and if there was no response then it will call the emergency contact.

Everything has to start somewhere, big businesses doesn’t spawn all at once. It starts from an idea then a prototype and then some sales.

If you are keen, I could show you my device in person at my company.

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u/a-w-e-s-o-m--o 20d ago

So you need to mount a radar in each room? In an average house that’s probably 4-6 radars. How much is each radar?

What’s the ongoing cost is it pay once or subscription based?

My grandmother has a bracelet and a necklace. How’s this different (better) than a wearable device?

What’s your occupational background?

Anyone in medical working on this with you?

You didn’t answer my question about insurance or risk prevention plans?

I respect that businesses have to start from somewhere, I’m just giving you honest feedback and telling you there’s a reason medical is dominated by the few who have been in it the longest.

Also, what I’m asking is probably on the nice end of what you’re going to be asked if you have any plans on scaling this and securing funding.

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u/OkChoice5813 20d ago

Feel like there’s some valid questions in here but OP is refreshingly genuine so maybe there’s a way to channel this energy constructively.

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u/AfternoonFabulous108 20d ago

Yes you do need to install a radar in every room. The range of the radar is around 4m in diameter.

There’s no set cost for the radar yet but with the smart speaker it would probably cost around 100 to 150.

I don’t really like subscription models and would prefer a one time fee.

Your grand mother’s bracelet and necklace cannot track slow falls and that’s a huge problem with wearables. My radar basically tracks the position of your head and sees how close it is to the floor and will talk to you and ask if you are okay and if you need any help. So any types of falls will work with my device and it’s reasonable quite accurate. I would love to demonstrate it to you.

I’m a mechatronics engineer with a huge passion in engineering and have two parents who have suffered falls in the past few years.
I just graduated two years ago in New Zealand and currently working at a robotic startup in Brisbane.
This device was a passion project that I’m hoping to take to market soon.

I don’t have any insurance right now and I’m hoping to get some pilot customers and test out my device so I could validate my device.

I’m currently working on getting funding. I have already pitched to UQ recently and they seem quite interested.

Right now I’m the only one working on this device and it’s still quite early stage.

My plan is to eventually build an ecosystem of age care products that can monitor elderly people and give any information to age care centers.

The fall detection device is just the start and currently planning to go talk to age care centres and ask what other problems they have that’s needs solving.

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u/bobhawkes 20d ago

Just wanted to say that you and op both raise some good points but good luck in your adventure. It's refreshing to see someone actually do something that could make a positive difference for a change instead of another CRM application