Hyderabad: A wearable device developed by the International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIIT-H) could significantly improve safety in high-risk industrial workplaces by ensuring that accidents are detected and reported instantly.Designed by Professor Abhishek Srivastava and his team at the Centre for VLSI and Embedded Systems Technology, the system, called ‘GoldAid’, is a compact, belt-mounted device worn by workers. It continuously monitors their movement, health and surroundings while they are on duty.“The device can detect a range of risks. It identifies falls, especially from heights, senses exposure to hazardous gases, and tracks vital signs such as heart rate, body temperature, oxygen levels and blood pressure. If any abnormal event occurs, such as a sudden fall or signs of medical distress, the system automatically sends an alert within seconds,” Srivastava said.These alerts are transmitted to a base station and then to a central monitoring system, where supervisors can track all workers in real time. An alarm is immediately triggered, enabling a quick response and medical assistance without waiting for someone to report the incident.“This is particularly important in large industrial settings such as thermal power plants, oil refineries and construction sites, where workers are spread out and accidents can easily go unnoticed. By removing dependence on manual reporting, the system ensures that even if a worker is unconscious or alone, help can still reach them quickly,” he added.The device also helps prevent accidents. Workers can log their normal health levels before starting a shift, and if the system detects unusual changes, it can alert supervisors early. This allows intervention before a situation becomes dangerous.“Using motion sensors and machine learning, the system can also assess how serious a fall is, distinguishing between minor slips and major accidents. Since all processing happens directly on the device, alerts are generated instantly without delays,” the professor said, adding that the system has already been tested in real-world environments, including a thermal power plant in Ramagundam and construction sites in Hyderabad.
