In this article, we will try to understand how Apple Watch knows how to stand and detect a fall, how to detect a fall, and how well it works.
Gone are the days when watches were the means of seeing time as the revolutionary brand Apple has completely changed the way people view watches. Apple began the journey by launching the Apple Watch, which allows users to count calories and reply to messages as well as tell time. Needless to say, Apple Watch has turned watch models into medical devices.
Apple Watch 2018 has a tendency to perform ECG on the spot to detect falls and identify heart function and call emergency service.
This feature is helping patients all around. According to reports, one-third of people over the age of 65 suffer from falls which can be dangerous for them.
That's why Apple has incorporated this technology into the Apple Watch. The fall detection feature automatically turns on the clock for people over the age of 65 and also calls 911 instantly.
How does the Apple Watch know you're standing and falling?
But the question is, how does Apple determine the position of the wearer? Instead of calling the Apple Watch a "smartwatch" like a common man, we went deeper to find out the real details as a tech freak.
The watch uses a similar "floating detection method" to detect falling or standing.
The watch is integrated with an accelerometer aimed at detecting changes in motion, and the gyroscope helps detect axial rotations.
These two add-ons help to detect the stroke of the watch wearer. To ensure timely and accurate results, Apple collected data from unplanned and real-world interactions between the Earth and the human body.
Samples of this data were used to design algorithms to detect declines. In this fall's data collection, 2,500 people were selected from employees of Movement Disorder Clinics and Apple, who shaped the data for about 250,000 days.
The data collected was related to actual accidents such as falling while wearing pants or falling down a ladder or tripping one's feet while walking.
Apple pointed out the need for real-world data when they pointed out the difference between real fall and stuntman fall motion patterns.
In addition to collecting data for falls, they also collected data for a simple movement to differentiate between standing and falling.
This is because they did not want the clock to call 911 if the person was just playing football or jumping out of bed.
Now comes the Apple Watch's emergency calling feature. As the watch is integrated with an algorithm, gyroscope, and accelerometer to detect a fall, it immediately notifies the person if it anticipates a fall.
If the user does not respond to a fall alert within a minute, he or she will automatically call Emergency Support, 911.
However, it requires strong network coverage to make calls, so be sure to take your phone with you if you are not. Not using the cellular version of the Apple Watch.
Emergency calling
When someone falls down, the fall detection algorithm will beep the fall alert message. If the person is OK, he must click 'I am OK' within a minute. However, if the person fails to answer, the watch immediately calls 911 to ensure the person's strong support.
Turn on Fall Detection - How is it done?
For users 65 years of age or older, the Apple Watch 4 and 5 are turned on by default. However, for younger people, the following steps need to be taken to enable fall detection.
- Open the Watch app on the connected iPhone.
- In the lower-left corner, click "My Watch".
- Click on "Emergency SOS"
- Scroll down and turn on "Fall Detection".
Once you switch to fall detection, it will automatically call 911, but some people have other emergency calls to call. To add family or friends as emergency contacts, go to the "Apple Health" app and add emergency contacts to the profile section.
This feature is helping to save lives and what do you think of the states where we said that clocks are not a means of checking the time?
I hope I helped you to understand how Apple Watch knows you stand and fall.
