January 3, 2025
Company Markets A.I. Light Fixtures as “Life-Saving”
Understanding the claims behind fall-detecting light fixtures for healthcare
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Inside Lighting scrutinized certain companies making what seemed to be unsubstantiated health claims about their “virus killing” products. We highlighted questionable assertions by no-name manufacturers and marketers eager to exploit health anxieties, particularly in the realm of UV-C lighting and electronic devices.
Recently a new headline has captured our attention: “Frontier Senior Living and Nobi Join Forces to Save Lives with AI-Powered Smart Lamps in 56 Communities Nationwide.” The announcement raised a question: are these truly life-saving luminaires, or does the claim lean more toward marketing than science?
Headquartered in Belgium with U.S. operations in Houston, TX, Nobi has made claims about its Smart Lamps, describing them as “life-saving” three times in its product brochure. These claims are seemingly based on data from two case studies in memory care communities. Let’s break down the claims and the technology behind them.
The Claims: Fall Prevention and Rapid Intervention
Above: Nobi Smart Lamp
Image credit: Nobi
Nobi Smart Lamps use AI and optical sensors in a ceiling-mounted fixture approximately 15 inches in diameter. The lamps produce around 1000 lumens of light and are designed to provide functional illumination.
This unique integration of lighting and sensing technologies could seemingly benefit numerous facilities. The sensing technology can reportedly send an alert to a building operator if an individual falls in a specific part of the building — a seemingly valuable benefit. Key features mentioned in Nobi’s materials include:
- Detect 100% of falls.
- Eliminate the risk of long-lie incidents (when someone remains on the ground for extended periods).
- Reduce average intervention times to just over three minutes.
Above: Excerpt from Nobi Smart Lamp brochure
These claims stem from a brochure and from a pilot study conducted in two Frontier Senior Living facilities — Burlington Memory Care and Oak Harbor Memory Care, both located in Washington State. The study reportedly led to an 84% reduction in response times and significant improvements in resident safety and confidence.
The Technology: A.I.-Powered Safety and Data Insights
Nobi Smart Lamps integrate AI and optical sensors into a ceiling-mounted fixture. Key features highlighted in Nobi’s marketing include:
- Fall Prevention: Automated lighting adjusts to reduce disorientation at night, such as soft lighting when residents sit up in bed and brighter lighting as they move.
- Fall Detection: The system claims to track 18 body coordinates to identify unusual positions that may indicate a fall. If a fall is detected, the lamp initiates two-way communication with caregivers and sends alerts through a connected system.
- Data Insights: The lamps provide anonymized reports on sleep patterns, movement, and fall scenarios, enabling caregivers to take preventive action and offer more personalized care.
Privacy is reportedly emphasized as all data is processed locally within the lamp, with no information stored in the cloud or external servers.
Limited Scope of the Evidence
The results from the two case studies are promising, but they represent a small sample size and controlled conditions. This analysis is based solely on publicly available information and is intended to provide an objective review of the claims and technology, without casting doubt on the company’s credibility or intentions. It is important to note:
- Generalization Risks: The company claim of 100% fall detection, for example, seemingly reflects performance in two pilot facilities. Whether this level of accuracy can be replicated in different layouts and under varied conditions over time remains uncertain.
- Intervention Times: While the study achieved average response times of just over three minutes, this number may depend on staffing levels and how well caregivers integrate the technology into their workflows.
- Scaling Challenges: Frontier Senior Living’s planned rollout to 56 communities across 20 states — spanning diverse regions and facility designs — may introduce new variables not present in the pilots.
Frontier Senior Living’s Investment
Frontier Senior Living, a senior living operator with 100 locations in states such as Arizona, Florida, and Georgia, is rolling out the Nobi Smart Lamps in 56 of its communities by mid-2025. This deployment will impact 3,700 residents, with the potential to significantly enhance safety and care standards. Frontier’s leadership expressed confidence in the technology, citing its privacy safeguards and potential to differentiate their communities in a competitive market.
As the rollout progresses, further studies may provide additional insights into real-world results across Frontier’s communities.
