SINGAPORE - About a third of men and women aged 65 or older in Singapore have experienced a fall at least once, with seniors being more likely to seriously hurt themselves when it happens.

Now a new technology has been developed to help them with getting emergency assistance in such a situation without the need to pick up a phone.

The emergency voice alert (EVA) device, developed by Singapore-based start-up iSense-ASV, can respond to calls for help, similar to voice-activated assistants such as Apple’s Siri or Amazon’s Alexa.

It can respond to various languages, including English, Mandarin, Malay, Tamil, Cantonese and Hokkien.

About the size of a dinner plate, EVA can be mounted on the wall or placed on a table.

Without the need for a wifi connection, EVA can connect via 4G or LTE networks, providing seniors who have fallen with two-way communication to caregivers, healthcare providers or emergency services.

Besides seniors living at home alone, EVa can also be used by companies to allow workers working alone or on night shifts with limited supervision to send out alerts hands-free in emergency situations, said iSense-ASV solution consultant Mustaqiim Roslan.

EVA can also respond to Spanish and Basque, he told The Straits Times, adding the company hopes to expand into Europe and Japan.

The company has also developed a fall sensor which employs radar technology, allowing for real-time monitoring of at-risk seniors without the need for more invasive cameras or wearables, ensuring their privacy.

iSense-ASV is one of 23 start-ups at HealthTechX Asia 2026, a two-day conference at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre which began on May 6.

Other firms at the medtech conference include M.I. Cloud, which uses magnetic fields to reduce snoring and help people sleep more soundly, and which is also exploring the use of its technology in other areas such as treating diabetic foot wounds.