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What if rehab care didn’t mean waiting hours for help to do the most basic things? We sit down with Sheila Buswell—Army veteran, engineer, and CEO of Buswell Biomedical—to unpack how a life‑altering injury and her mother’s hip fracture exposed a quiet truth: activities of daily living are overdue for a humane upgrade. Sheila shares the origin of Upmo, a patented mobility system that navigates like a Roomba, syncs to a patient’s RFID strap, and uses LIDAR and IMU sensors to support movement, detect instability, and prevent dangerous falls—without replacing caregivers or dignity.
We trace her path from Bosnia to biomedical innovation, exploring why many facilities still rely on slow, manual processes that frustrate patients and burn out staff. Sheila explains how machine learning distinguishes a user’s normal gait from a real risk, when to off‑weight for balance, and when a controlled lower to the ground is safest. We also dive into the realities behind the promise: FDA clearance timelines, safety validation, model updates, maintenance, and the business concerns that can stall adoption even when patients say “yes, please.”
Along the way, we challenge assumptions about AI in elder care, argue for autonomy as a measurable outcome, and consider why tomorrow’s seniors—more tech‑literate and active—may welcome devices that give them privacy and control. If you care about fall prevention, senior mobility, ADLs, and realistic AI in healthcare, this conversation offers a grounded roadmap from problem to product.
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