With the rapid aging of the global population, there is an increasing need for innovative solutions to mitigate the physical burden on caregivers and improve safety for older people in medical and nursing-care settings. Falls represent a major threat to older people, significantly impacting their mobility and functional independence. In the present study, we introduced and evaluated a suspension-type fall-impact-mitigation robot designed to reduce fall speed and injury risk in daily living environments. The robot, which operates without the need for an external power source, was tested in a living lab simulating indoor and outdoor home spaces. High-performance, markerless motion-capture technology was employed to measure the velocity of falls across five scenarios, including forward/backward falls, sliding from a chair, and tripping on slopes. The results showed that wearing the suspension-type fall-impact-mitigation robot substantially reduced the velocity of falls, with hip velocities upon contact with the ground remaining below the biomechanical reference threshold of 2.0 m/s in 98.9% of measurements across all scenarios. A usability survey conducted among healthcare professionals further indicated high scores for safety and ease of use in care settings. These findings suggest that the fall-impact-mitigation robot is a promising solution for reducing fall-related injuries among older adults.
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