Cecilia Monoli

This project is based on the new paradigm of "flow as information", a groundbreaking approach for underwater sensing of multiscale flows in Nature. It will lead to new, optimized devices and methods to measure, classify and explore the underwater environment when traditional methods are too expensive or simply do not work. Flow as information is inspired by aquatic animals who have evolved advanced sensory systems which combine sensing and information processing into a single framework. The proposal will advance TalTech's underwater sensing technologies from working prototypes (TRL3 to TRL5) to tests in relevant operational environments (TRL6), and support technology transfer to Estonian and international firms. These devices and methods will provide researchers, industry and authorities with new and reliable sources of flow data during extreme climate and weather events where conventional devices fail and when critical infrastructure is at risk, such as during storm surges and floods.

Falls and frailty are major concerns for the aging population, with ~30% of people over the age of 65 falling each year. Current risk assessments mainly rely on self-reports and subjective scales, failing to account for the interplay between mobility, behavior, and environment. As a result, early signs of declining health often go unnoticed. The SAFE project aims to develop a sensor-based framework for real-world fall-risk profiling. SAFE focuses on balance losses that do not lead to actual falls, which are underestimated risk factors, using wearable sensors. The project (1) identifies risk factors and sensor-based metrics of instability, (2) validates the technology's performance with older adults living in the community, and (3) investigates the impact of behavior and context on fall risk. SAFE moves from detecting consequences to a fall-prevention system, enabling a personalized approach to fall-risk assessment and supporting healthier aging among the European population.