Meet Alumni:

Kevin Tang

2025 3M Young Scientist Challenge Winner
2026 Alumni Grant Recipient

Kevin was awarded the Continuation of 3M Young Scientist Challenge Project Grant for his work on “FallGuard,” an AI-powered fall detection and prevention system that helps protect older adults at home by providing fast, affordable, and accessible safety monitoring without the need for wearable devices.

About their Project

FallGuard (fallguard.net) is an AI-based fall detection and prevention system designed to help protect older adults at home. It uses a camera and pose detection technology to recognize dangerous falls and send alerts to caregivers quickly, without requiring the person to wear a device. This is important because many seniors forget to charge or wear wearable alarms.

To make the system more affordable, FallGuard can run on low-cost hardware and can even turn an old computer into a working safety device in just a few minutes using my free app and setup guide. I also created a donation platform so unused computers can be given to families who need protection but cannot afford new equipment.

Beyond fall detection, I am also developing early warning features that learn a person’s normal movement patterns and look for changes that may signal higher fall risk or possible health problems. The goal is to help families respond faster and keep seniors safer at home.

What was the inspiration behind your project?

FallGuard was inspired by my grandmother. About six years ago, she fell in the kitchen, and no one noticed right away. By the time my family found her and called 911, the delay had already caused permanent brain injury. That experience made me realize how dangerous it can be when someone falls and when help does not arrive quickly.

Later, I heard similar stories from other families, including seniors who live alone, people with medical conditions, and caregivers who worry every day. I learned that many existing fall detection systems depend on wearables, charging, or pressing a button, but these solutions do not always work for seniors with dementia, Alzheimer’s, seizures, or other conditions. I created FallGuard to detect falls automatically using AI computer vision and send alerts to caregivers without requiring the person to wear or press anything.