How 221e’s NeuraSafe™ and Microchip Enable Life-Saving Intelligence in Smart Wearables

Recalibrating Safety With Embedded AI

Workplace safety remains a persistent challenge across high-risk industries like construction, manufacturing and healthcare. Each year, millions of injuries and fatalities are caused by falls and man-down incidents. These dangerous events are often exacerbated by delayed emergency response, especially when workers are incapacitated and unable to call for help.

To address these challenges, 221e developed NeuraSafe™, which detects falls and man-down scenarios with exceptional accuracy. NeuraSafe is an embedded Artificial Intelligence (AI) software platform that brings intelligence to Personal Protective Equipment (smart PPE). Built on inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor data and proprietary machine learning algorithms, the 221e solution powers smart wearable devices that act decisively when seconds count.

Microchip Delivers the Ideal Hardware for 221e’s NeuraSafe

NeuraSafe is optimized to run on low-power embedded hardware, making our microcontroller (MCU) platforms an ideal foundation. Using a Microchip MCU architecture, the NeuraSafe solution consumes minimal resources: 14.5 KB of flash and just 3.6 KB of RAM in 3DoF mode. During testing on hardware clocked at 64 MHz, it achieved ultra-responsive fall detection within just over half a millisecond.

Our energy-efficient microcontrollers ensure that the smart wearable devices powered by NeuraSafe can operate for days without recharging. At the heart of the design lies PIC32CM5164LS60100, integrated via the EV96B94A development board. This MCU orchestrates data acquisition from the IMU, manages real-time edge AI processing and handles low-power system operation. In addition, it provides the required performance-to-power ratio for always-on safety monitoring applications. These capabilities extend the practicality of deployment in industrial settings where uninterrupted monitoring is essential.

Intelligent Safety Activated Instantly

NeuraSafe continuously monitors motion patterns and impact events at 50 Hz, quickly identifying falls and unconscious states. Its intelligent initialization calibrates within 15 seconds post-installation, creating a seamless “wear and forget” user experience.

221e’s NeuraSafe features a three-tier alarm escalation with Alpha, Bravo and Charlie levels to filter out false positives, which are the main reason for abandoning fall detection solutions.

The system features a three-tier alarm escalation with Alpha, Bravo and Charlie levels, designed to filter out false positives and respond only to real emergencies. With integrated GPS functionality and Microchip-enabled communications modules, emergency responders receive pinpointed location data, enabling rapid intervention.

Designed for Demanding Environments

Whether safeguarding construction workers, isolated personnel or individuals in remote locations, NeuraSafe delivers enhanced protection tailored to high-risk use cases. The software's flexibility allows it to be deployed using a single trunk-mounted IMU sensor, though alternative placements like belts or upper arms have also shown excellent results.

Microchip and 221e: Delivering Complete Safety Solutions

The synergy between 221e’s advanced embedded AI algorithms and Microchip’s robust MCU platforms enables a streamlined, ready-to-deploy solution. These pre-integrated building blocks reduce development time, eliminate hardware-software mismatches, and help customers scale from concept to production faster. The reference implementation leverages Microchip’s PIC32CM5164LS60100 along with optional on-board components such as BLE or PMICs present on the EV96B94A, though not directly used by the application, giving OEMs a blueprint for rapid integration.

The end result is a final-application-ready solution that meets the demands of harsh environments while also delivering real-time, life-saving intelligence at the edge.

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Technical Architecture

At the core of the NeuraSafe design lies Microchip’s PIC32CM5164LS60100, integrated on the EV96B94A development board. This MCU handles:

• Real-time sensor data acquisition from the IMU
• Edge AI inference, processing complex motion patterns
• Triggering I/O alerts through system-level signaling when fall events are detected

The development team leveraged our toolchain to port and optimize their embedded code rapidly, making use of mature documentation and flexible programming environments.

While NeuraSafe primarily utilizes the MCU, additional Microchip components (e.g., BLE modules, power management ICs) present on the board may also support broader functionality. These were not directly integrated into the core AI workflow, but offer expandability for future designs.

Learn more about 221e and NeuraSafe.
Discover Microchip’s low-power microcontroller solutions and explore PIC32CM5164LS60100.