I am not sure why, but so many of my friends have tripped and fallen down this year. I used to think I was the only one. If there was an uneven crack in a sidewalk, my shoe managed to find it, and I would go flying. I really started to get concerned when I found out that many seniors, who I know, fell down too.

That’s why I’m interested to find out more about the Elitac BalanceBelt, a belt for people with severe balance disorders. Elitac is a Dutch company that will be debuting this new invention at CES from the 7th – 10th of January 2020.

The company’s press release said, “The Elitac BalanceBelt helps people with severe balance disorders, such as Bilateral Vestibular Loss, to eliminate the need for help from a person, walking stick or wheelchair. The belt enables the patient the ability to walk again. It gives off vibration signals to the user about the body position. The wearer of the belt intuitively reacts to the haptic feedback of the body position.

“By helping patients to keep more control over their balance, the belt improves their daily lives, provides instant relief and confidence whilst strengthening their physical fitness, and increases their overall quality of life.

“The BalanceBelt continuously measures the direction the user is leaning. The belt is activated by the press of a button, making it extremely easy to use. It is worn around the waist and includes small vibration motors that release a vibrating alert if the patient’s body is at risk of being thrown off balance.”

Is it possible that as we get older, we truly become clumsy? Clumsy may be a harsh word, but it certainly reminds many of us to be aware of our posture and to learn better balance control. I will let you know what I think of the BalanceBelt after I experiment with it in Las Vegas next month.