Home Surveillance System Tracks Health & Safety

Smart Home AI Monitoring to Provide Elderly Home Care as Needed

Nov 7, 2009

Emergency notification of in-home emergencies can be accomplished when smart homes monitor the health and safety of the elderly with an AI home surveillance system.

Many elderly individuals are unable to afford in-home nursing care, and are at risk in the event of an accident or health emergency in the home. Smart home technology in a home surveillance system is intended to monitor the habits and movements of anyone who does not have in-home care. The use of fuzzy logic allows the system to notify a caregiver or emergency personnel if there is a concern about the health or safety of the homeowner.

Elderly Home Care Difficulties

The elderly become less able to care for themselves over time. In situations without the availability of professional in-home care, there are other options. Family or friends may check on the elderly person to verify health, via telephone or by visiting in person. An alert device, such as an emergency button, can alert medical professionals if the homeowner has had an accident, and can't get to a phone. Alternatively, an artificial intelligence system for the elderly can monitor the home for health and safety.

AI Assisted Living for Seniors

AI assisted living for seniors may consist of various types of monitoring equipment. In a 2009 study called, "Modeling Human Activity From Voxel Person Using Fuzzy Logic," the authors used a combination of many video cameras and various types of sensors to determine whether residents have fallen down. For an elderly person living alone, a fall can be serious, particularly when the individual is unable to get back up again.

Automated Home System Monitors Health

The fuzzy logic system developed for this study allows the system to differentiate between a person who is standing up, lying down on the floor, lying down on a couch, or trying to get back up again after a fall to the floor. The system uses a complex series of "if-then" statements to determine whether the individual has fallen to the floor, and if medical assistance is required.

Nurses provided expert assistance to educate the system on situations which would constitute an emergency. In addition to the emergency notifications, the system can also provide reports on the number of non-emergency falls that took place over a given period of time, to give insight into the possibility of a deteriorating condition.

Maintaining Privacy Through Visual Interpretations

The system uses a type of visual interpretation called non-overlapping volume elements, or voxels. These shapes provide a three-dimensional view of the person as a human-like shape, but with no distinguishing characteristics. This type of monitoring preserves the privacy and dignity of the elderly person being monitored, while helping to maintain their health and safety.

References:

Authors: Derek Anderson, Robert H. Luke, James M. Keller, Marjorie Skubic, Marilyn Rantz, Myra Aud

Conducted at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Sinclair School of Nursing,

The copyright of the article Home Surveillance System Tracks Health & Safety in Artificial Intelligence is owned by Victoria Nicks. Permission to republish Home Surveillance System Tracks Health & Safety in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.