For starters, in December, the team unveiled a new level of fall protection in their working prototype. Fitted to a life-size mannequin, the vest proved that it was capable of sensing a backwards fall and inflating in time to protect the wearer. You can see the exciting test run below.

Runner-Up Award

The SAF-T vest also took runner up honors at the Walleye Tank, which is a start up pitch competition for local entrepreneurs. Davenport SAF-T Systems and the SAF-T vest took home runner-up honors in the mid-level reelers group. The team was among 13 groups invited to participate in the competition, which was hosted by the Mayo Clinic Office of Entrepreneurship and the University of Minnesota Venture Center. In addition to earning a Walleye Tank trophy, the runner-up honors included a cash prize of $4,000!

The SAF-T vest has also been garnering some media attention of late. Along with the recent post we made, the SAF-T vest was also discussed in pieces by the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal and the Star-Tribune. Follow the links to learn more from these media sources.

So what’s up next for the SAF-T Vest? According to Ryan Davenport, the team has applied for grant money from several organizations, including the National Institutes of Health. They also expect to make a few small modifications to their existing prototype, and they plan to produce 2-3 more units in preparation for safety and evaluation studies involving adult volunteers. These assessments are on schedule to take place in early 2025.

We’ll continue to pass along updates as we learn about them, but for more information, please check out the Davenport SAF-T Systems website.

*Dr. Silverman sits on the advisory board for Davenport SAF-T Systems

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We’ve written about the SAF-T vest a number of times in the past, and we’ll link to past articles later in the blog, but we wanted to shout out the company for being featured in a recent article in the Star Tribune. The article is titled “Have an idea for an invention but no formal training? Here’s how to do it,” and it takes a closer look at how some local inventors have been able to turn their dream into a reality. We urge you to head over and check out the full article, but we’ve grabbed some snippets from the article that focus on Davenport Systems and the SAF-T vest.

SAF-T Vest In The Star Tribune

(Excerpts from the Star-Trib)

Ryan Davenport achieved proof of concept for his company’s design — a wearable vest equipped with airbags that deploy once a person begins to fall — by partnering with a group of students for a class project at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. The results gave Davenport an example to show potential investors.

Mooneyham (an inventor who worked to create a more effective nursing bra for mothers) sought the help of professionals at Kablooe Design — a Minneapolis product research, design and development firm — to create her pumping bra product. It’s the same firm where Davenport is having his SAF-T VEST invention developed.

Kablooe staff “were very receptive to startup people with an idea they want to try to develop,” Davenport said. They were also willing to work within Davenport’s budget. Davenport raised roughly $80,000 through a crowdfunding campaign, of which 90% went toward paying for engineering. While Davenport could have tried to hire a team of engineers to build the vest under the umbrella of his company, bankrolling a payroll wasn’t feasible at the time.

Recently, engineers at Kablooe tested newly designed airbags, giving Davenport results and visual proof to show at CES, the annual innovation trade show in Las Vegas produced by the Consumer Technology Association.

Capital Needs

To start, Davenport and his father invested about $50,000 of their own money into the SAF-T-VEST but quickly realized they couldn’t advance the project without financial help, he said. Investors, mostly those focused on software companies, were hesitant to put money into the business. They wanted more evidence of its functionality, Davenport said. After fielding a working estimate from Kablooe on how much it would cost to build a prototype, the crowdfunding route provided enough funds to take the company to the next level.

“It gave us what we needed to be able to create a video showing a forward fall and backward fall, and that was great,” Davenport said. “Our gamble was, if we can get to that, that will show people what we’re talking about.”

It’s awesome to see that the SAF-T vest continues to gain momentum, and we know that big things are in store for the device in the near future. In the meantime, if you want to read up on out past blogs on the SAF-T vest, simply follow the links below!

The SAF-T Vest Crowdfunding Campaign Is Live!

SAF-T Vest Named To MassChallenge Accelerator Program

SAF-T Vest Earns U.S. Patent

SAF-T Vest Moves Forward With First-Generation Prototype

SAF-T Vest Earns Innovation Grant!

*Dr. Silverman sits on the advisory board for Davenport Systems

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Roughly one in four senior citizens suffer a fall each year, and of those 14 million individuals who suffer a fall, 3 million are treated in emergency departments for their injuries. Moreover, 39,000 individuals died as a result of the fall or complications related to their fall in 2019, and that number is simply far too high. That’s where the SAF-T vest comes in.

The SAF-T vest prototype can already detect a fall and rapidly inflate in less than half a second, and that can make all the difference in the event of a fall. The vest also quickly deflates after impact to prevent a bounceback event that could also possibly cause injuries.

Consider Crowdfunding The SAF-T Vest

If you want to learn more or are at all interested in helping to crowdfund the SAF-T vest, head on over to the page on WeFunder.com. Right now the company is only looking for a commitment to invest, meaning nothing will come out of your pocket today. Once the SAF-T vest raises at least $50,000 in commitments, there will be a legal review and some paperwork that will be filed to ensure the business and its investors are following proper protocols. Then those investments will collected and the project will be shared with more potential investors at the next stage of WeFunder’s crowdfunding process.

You can learn more about your investment options on the SAF-T vest WeFunder page, but know that it’s not just simply a donation. The first $100,000 will invest in a convertible note with a $3 million valuation cap, and you’ll also be eligible for a percentage discount on a future purchase of a SAF-T vest. There are different commitment levels, and at this time the SAF-T vest is only able to accept a minimum of a $100 investment, but again you can learn more about the investment and the perks associated with it on their site.

As we also mention in all of our blogs on the SAF-T vest, Dr. Silverman sits on the Advisory Board for Davenport SAF-T Systems, but we want this project to succeed because of all the injuries it has the potential to prevent. Countless emergency room trips, hundreds of millions of dollars in medical expenses and many lives could be saved if the SAF-T vest can deliver on its vision. We’ll keep our eyes on the crowdfunding campaign and continue to provide updates as they keep coming!

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Launch Minnesota Innovation Grant

Launch Minnesota Innovation Grants help to provide funding to some of Minnesota’s most promising innovative and scalable technology businesses. Since its creation during the 2019 legislative session, Launch Minnesota has awarded 178 innovation grants to 130 unique grantees totaling more than $4.2 million. This funding is aimed at accelerating the growth of startups and to help amplify Minnesota as a national leader in innovation.

13 projects received funding during this round of grants from Launch Minnesota, and we’re proud to say that Davenport SAF-T Systems was provided with a $28,000 grant. This funding will be used to help offset some of their more pressing expenses as they move out of the early stages of development and towards more advanced prototyping.

The grant is administered through the state of Minnesota in a 2:1 matching reimbursement model, meaning that the state reimburses the startup with $1 for every $2 spent on qualifying expenses like local engineering and contractor services, market research and equipment expenses.

Davenport SAF-T Systems believes this grant will help move them one step closer to solving the fall crisis in older populations, which currently places a $50 billion burden on our healthcare system and patients every year.

If you’d like to learn more about the SAF-T vest, check out some of the blogs we’ve written about it in the past:

SAF-T Vest Earns U.S. Patent
SAF-T Vest Named To Mass Accelerator Program
SAF-T Vest Moves Forward With First-Generation Prototype<

You can also learn more about the project and stay up to date on the latest news by heading over to the Davenport SAF-T Systems website. We’re excited to learn about this grant opportunity and hope that the team at Davenport SAF-T Systems will continue to build on their early success with their SAF-T vest.

(Dr. Silverman sits on the advisory board for Davenport SAF-T Systems)

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You can learn more about the device by checking out some of our old blog posts, but know that the SAF-T Vest operates by rapidly inflating in the event that microsensors detect that the wearer is suffering a fall. The vest also rapidly deflates to prevent a potentially dangerous bounceback sensation that could lead to whiplash or other injuries.

In the most recent development, we’re excited to announce that the team at Davenport SAF-T Systems recently unveiled its patented SAF-T Vest proof of concept and first-generation prototype at the Senior Design Show at the University of St. Thomas School of Engineering.

“This is an incredibly important day because seeing is believing,” said Ryan Davenport, CEO and co-founder of Davenport SAF-T Systems. “We’ve known for along time this idea would work but we also understand that saying it and showing it are two different things.”

Prototype Shows Promise

The above picture shows the first-generation prototype that involves one airbag that is designed to protect the individual from the effects of a forward fall. A more advanced wearable technology will eventually feature a network of airbags to provide protection for the hips and head no matter which direction the user falls.

According to the engineering team, the current prototype:

• Recognizes, with onboard motion sensors, when an imminent fall is about to happen.
• Inflates a customized airbag in less than a third of a second.
• Deflates rapidly so the airbag absorbs the impact of the fall.

“The student engineers have done sensational work,” said Dr. Davenport. “They’ve demonstrated that fall injury protection is feasible and therefore necessary. They’ve also shown how the SAF-T Vest can help older adults in a forward fall avoid severe injury and remain active and independent.”

What’s Next

After the success of the Senior Design Show, Davenport SAF-T Systems will be seeking up to $350,000 in seed funding through venture capital or angel investors. The team is also applying for research and development grants from private foundations and government agencies.

The funding will be used to build on the work of the St. Thomas engineers to help create an advanced prototype suitable for human studies and rigorous testing.

For more information about the SAF-T Vest or stay up to date with their news and updates, head on over to their website.

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Personal Airbag System Could Help Prevent Fractures
SAF-T Vest Earns US Patent
Personal Airbag System Featured On KSTP-TV

Now that you’re caught up, it’s on to the big news! The SAF-T Vest was recently selected to participate in MassChallenge, one of the largest and most respected accelerator programs in the world. The four-month accelerator program is highly competitive and admitted 229 startups out of more than 3,000 applications from around the world. Out of the 229 startups selected, the SAF-T vest is the only applicant from Minnesota that was accepted, and they hope to make us even prouder than we already are!

MassChallenge 2021

MassChallenge is a self-described global network for innovators who are looking to solve massive challenges. Since 2009, MassChallenge alumni have raised $8.6 billion in funding, generated $3.6 billion in revenue and created more than 186,000 jobs. They’ve also helped to address some of the greatest world challenges, and hopefully fall prevention can soon be checked off the list!

You can learn more about the 2021 MassChallenge cohort by clicking here, and be sure to stay tuned to the website and our blog for continued updates about the SAF-T vest. All of these startups can already consider themselves winners, but the accelerator program will present its US showcase and awards on October 28, so let’s see how much innovation can happen over the next four months!

Congrats again to the team at SAF-T vest and Davenport Systems! You can learn more about Davenport Safety Systems and their goal with the SAF-T vest by heading over to their website. Good luck to all the startups that were selected! We can’t wait to see how you change the world!

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We recently learned that the SAF-T Vest, a wearable personal airbag system, received its “Notice of Allowance” from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. This will allow the company to file for a formal patent in the near future, hopefully bringing them a step closer to helping reduce falls among older adults.

SAF-T Vest Basics

The SAF-T Vest is a wearable smartclothes option that was developed by Jay Davenport, M.D., a board-certified orthopedic surgeon. The personal vest monitors the wearer’s center of balance using a group of tiny sensors. When the sensors detect an unrecoverable fall, it quickly deploys an airbag system to greatly reduce the risk and severity of injury from the fall. The bags also then rapidly deflate to prevent a bounce-back effect that could also contribute to injury. The rapid deflation carefully lowers the user to the floor, similar to deflating an air mattress.

“Rather than try to prevent falls, which may be impossible, our idea was to develop a comfortable system that protects people in case they do fall,” said Davenport of the system.

The airbag system is integrated into a vest, along with a microprocessor and sensors. And, it’s quite fashionable, as seen in the accompanying photo.

Not only can the SAF-T Vest help to prevent falls, it can also contribute to wearer independence and a higher quality of life. Older adults can live their lives without fear that they could become another hip fracture statistic. The vest also hopes to help reduce medical expenditures for fall related injuries, which currently tops $50 billion annually in the US alone. Hopefully the company can obtain their patent in the near future and move forward with their device that has the capability to save countless lives each year.

Disclosure – Dr. Silverman sits on the advisory board for the SAF-T- Vest.

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