
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.

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.

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.

Staff Spotlight: Sutanuka Bhattacharjya
Sutanuka Bhattacharjya is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Georgia State University. As part of TechSAge, Sutanuka supports the SmartBathroom project by assessing activity performance and feasibility of using technology in measurement of movement. Additionally, Sutanuka works on the TechSAge funded pilot app project DigiHand, which tests the feasibility of using technology in measuring the quality of upper limb movement during daily activities. Sutanuka’s research interests focus on assessing the use of technology to support individuals with chronic deficits in continuing their rehabilitation within their homes. Sutanuka is also professionally trained in Bharatnatyam, an Indian classical dance form.

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 number #90REGE0006-01-00 ).
NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).