MAD Work: workplace safety expands, connects, and saves your life.
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MAD Work: il giubbotto “salva vite” con l’intelligenza artificiale e il Cloud
Innovation meets protection: discover how the MAD Work smart airbag vest is redefining safety standards in high-risk workplaces. Worker safety is a constant concern, but statistics on fall injuries remain worrying. Every year, accidents of this type cause countless injuries, some of them fatal. But what if we could prevent the impact before it happens? The answer comes from Italy, with the MAD Work (Smart Safety Jacket – SSJ), a revolutionary device that does more than just protect, but harnesses the power of cutting-edge technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Cloud for a level of proactive protection never seen before. Real-time prevention: speed saves lives The heart of MAD Work is its extraordinary ability to react. The vest is equipped with inertial sensors and artificial intelligence algorithms that constantly analyze the user’s movements. When they detect an abnormal fall event, the system acts with incredible speed: Detection in less than 150ms: The proprietary algorithm is able to distinguish an accidental fall from a voluntary movement (such as bending over or sitting down), ensuring that the airbag activates only when necessary. Airbag activation: As soon as a fall is confirmed, a compressed gas cylinder opens, inflating the airbag in a fraction of a second. The air cushion is strategically positioned to protect vital areas such as the chest, back, neck and hips, dramatically reducing impact energy. The speed of this reaction is crucial: preventative activation, before the body even touches the ground, is what distinguishes the MAD Work from traditional fall arrest PPE, transforming it from a simple protective device to a true intelligent “guardian angel.” Beyond protection: connectivity and automatic alerts The MAD Work is not just an airbag; it’s a complete safety system. Using IoT connectivity, the vest can send real-time information to a monitoring center or predefined emergency contacts. Emergency alert: As soon as the airbag is activated, the device sends an emergency alert containing the exact location of the injured person thanks to the integrated GPS. This eliminates the risk of an injured worker, perhaps unconscious or unable to move, being left without assistance. This eliminates the risk of an injured worker, perhaps unconscious or unable to move, being left without assistance. This allows security managers to have a clear, real-time view of incidents, facilitating a quick and efficient response. An innovation for various sectors The versatility of the MAD Work makes it ideal for a wide range of industrial sectors. From construction sites to working at heights, from photovoltaic system installation to logistics, the jacket offers a superior level of protection, improving the safety of those working in conditions with a high risk of falling. In summary, MAD Work represents a crucial step forward in the evolution of workplace safety. It’s no longer just about reducing the consequences of a fall, but about minimizing the impact thanks to an automated, intelligent and connected response. This vest is not just a piece of clothing, but a vital tool that protects lives, reduces risks, and ensures that help arrives when it is most needed. The organizations that participated in the project. The MAD Work system was designed and developed by Protechto, an innovative company from Gallarate (VA). The initiative, formally called the SSJ (Smart Safety Jacket) research project, is the result of a collaboration with several organizations: EDALAB: A research and development center that contributed to the project. University of Verona: Participated with its scientific and technological know-how. SMACT Competence Center: Co-financed the project, supporting technological innovation. The collaboration between these entities has allowed academic research, technological development, and industrial vision to be combined to create a cutting-edge product in the field of workplace safety. This approach also led to the project being recognized with the “Best Paper Award” at the DATE Conference 2025. Although Italian projects are highly visible in this sector, the interest is global. Airbag-based protection technology has been applied in a variety of contexts, including non-work-related ones, such as airbag seat belts for the elderly to protect their hips in the event of a fall or spacesuits for astronauts. This demonstrates that research and development in this field is constantly evolving internationally, with the aim of making workplaces safer through the use of technologies such as IoT and AI. Several similar projects are underway at the national and international level using smart airbag technology for workplace safety. Other notable Italian projects D-Air Lab WorkAir: Developed by D-Air Lab, a startup linked to Dainese, a leading company in motorcycling and skiing protection. The WorkAir system is a vest that uses airbag technology already tested in the sports field and adapts it for the protection of workers. Inflates an airbag in just 40 milliseconds to protect your back and chest in the event of a fall. It is certified as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and can be worn both over and under the safety harness. Smart Jacket: A research project funded by the Lombardy Region that aims to create a high-visibility vest with sensors and airbags. The system, designed by Allix S.r.l. in collaboration with other partners, is able to detect a fall and activate the bags in approximately 100 milliseconds, providing additional protection and not a replacement for mandatory PPE. To see an example of these innovations, you can check out this video showing an airbag vest in action:
