Two older Asian women using a smart speaker and electronic tablet while seated at a table at home.

Technologies to Support Aging-in-Place

Technologies to Support Aging-in-Place

The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Technologies to Support Aging-in-Place for People with Long-Term Disabilities (RERC TechSAge) is a collaborative grant center based at Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Georgia State University. Founded in 2013, TechSAge features multidisciplinary research, development, and training projects that are dedicated to understanding the needs of, and developing supportive technologies for, people aging with long-term vision, hearing, and mobility disabilities.

TechSAge graduate spotlight featuring Georgia Tech (Chandler Pearson, Ritika Sadalge, Ivy Rubio-Ramirez) and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Husna Hussaini, Ki Lim, Malaak Yehya) graduates

Congratulations, Spring 2023 Graduates

Congratulations to the Spring 2023 TechSAge graduates from Georgia Tech and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign! We are so proud of these students' achievements and have enjoyed working with them on our team. We are excited to celebrate their accomplishments, and we wish them well in the future.

student in labratory setting performing a manual wheelchair fall as part of testing of fall detection device

Featured Article

Developing a Fall Detection Algorithm

Existing automated fall detection devices are lacking in their ability to detect falls among wheelchair users. A new TechSAge article in Assistive Technology highlights the development of a fall detection algorithm, developed in a laboratory setting using machine learning techniques, that can accurately differentiate between wheelchair-related falls and wheelchair mobility activities. Researchers conducted a pilot study wherein 30 young, healthy, and ambulatory adults simulated 258 wheelchair falls and 220 wheelchair mobility activities in a lab with fall data retrieved from accelerometers worn on participants’ wrist, chest, and head. Findings indicate that the algorithm should be integrated into wrist-worn devices and further tested among wheelchair users to evaluate its ability to minimize consequences from falls. Request the full article by Libak Abou, Alexander Fliflet, Peter Presti, Jacob Sosnoff, Harshal Mahajan, Mikaela Frechette, and Laura Rice.

Latest Publications

Digital Assistants

Potential of Digital Home Assistant Devices for Older Adults

Fall Prevention

Mobile Technology for Falls Prevention in Older Adults

Home Environment Design

Understanding Home Activities Challenges of Older Adults Aging with Mobility Disabilities
Sujana Vangala TechSAge Staff Spotlight graphic

Staff Spotlight: Sujana Vangala

Sujana Vangala is a 1st year Literature, Media, & Communications student at Georgia Tech. As the TechSAge digital communications and social media intern, Sujana helps increase awareness of the Center’s activities and promote engagement with community stakeholders. She manages TechSAge’s online presence, including our website, annual newsletter, Twitter, and LinkedIn. She is excited to create and disseminate content on behalf of the TechSAge team at the forefront of innovative technology development for people aging with disability. In her free time, Sujana can be found writing, going to concerts, or baking cookies with her family! 

Woman in a wheelchair filling out a form with a woman standing next to her

Become a Research Participant!

We maintain a registry of names of people who are interested in being contacted about research studies. Opportunities include: surveys, focus groups, interviews, and technology evaluations. Depending on the study, you may be able to participate on the phone, online, on campus, at your home, or in other locations.

Interested in joining? We need to ask a you a few questions about yourself to see which studies you might be eligible for and match your interests with our researchers. Complete the brief survey (5-10 minutes) online here:

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TechSAge research is funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant numbers #90REGE0021 and #90REGE0006-01-00). 

NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).