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Walabot Is a Smart Home Device That Can Detect Falls
Attach Walabot to your bathroom wall, and the device uses Wi-Fi-like 'advanced, low-power radio wave technology' – not cameras – to detect falls. If you do take a tumble, Walabot calls your emergency contact to let them know.
By Angela Moscaritolo October 24, 2018 5:07PM EST
Concerned about the risk of being injured in a fall, but not keen to wear or tote around a medical alert device or the pricey Apple Watch Series 4?
You might want to check out a new device called Walabot Home from the 3D imaging sensor company Vayyar. Unveiled Wednesday, the smart home device is similar to a smoke detector, but for falls, Vayyar says. Just attach Walabot to your bathroom wall, and the device uses Wi-Fi-like "advanced, low-power radio wave technology"—not cameras—to detect falls. If you do take a tumble, Walabot calls your emergency contact to let them know.
"People want to feel comfortable in their homes without the burden of needing to wear a pendant or medical alert device, but they still want the security of knowing that they can get help if they need it," Vayyar Co-founder, CEO, and Chairman Raviv Melamed said in a statement. "Walabot Home is so effective because people can set it up and then relax, feeling secure in the knowledge it's there just in case."
The device works when your bathroom is steamy or dark and can sense falls through curtains and glass walls. It's available now for $249, with no monthly fees, and can be paid for in installments. An accompanying mobile app for iOS and Android lets you control the device. According to the CDC, more than one in four adults aged 65 and older fall every year. One-in-five falls cause "serious injury such as broken bones or head injury."
PCMag has tested many medical alert systems; our favorites include Bay Alarm Medical In-Home Medical Alert, Bay Alarm Medical Splitsecnd In-Car Medical Alert, GreatCall Lively Mobile, and MobileHelp Classic. Meanwhile, Apple's latest wrist-worn wearable features both a fall sensor and an FDA-approved electrocardiogram (ECG) function; but has a $399 starting price and requires an iPhone 6 or later.