Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering IESE in Kaiserslautern, Germany, with the goal of giving the elderly a sense of security in their own homes without invading their privacy, have developed a new technology concept that can offer both assistance in the case of a fall without invasive cameras and is also a communication tool offering access to nursing consultants.

In an effort to keep elderly people safe in their homes, the researchers have developed a tool that uses sensors to inform a monitoring system --called SUSI TD-- of changes in a person’s recurring actions without using cameras.

"Our system is based on non-invasive sensors, especially on motion detectors (such as those used in lamps and alarms) as well as touch sensors placed on often-used drawers or refrigerators," explained Rolf van Lengen, head of department at the IESE.

Based on the sensory data, the system identifies the person’s recurring patterns and recognizes when assistance is needed. Only when there are deviations in a person’s behavior does the system notify -via encrypted message-- the nursing care center.

"Using a video communication tool, the people can talk directly with the counselors of the nursing care support points via touchscreen. As a result, the consultants are able to support people even more effectively than they could if they only paid occasional house visits," said Anne Gebert of the German Institute for Applied Care Research.

Additionally, residents are also able to contact friends and family members, play games or share pictures using the communication tool.

To test the technology, researchers outfitted 18 apartments in the area of Trier, Germany, with the sensors, checking in frequently for user feedback. In a follow-up project, the researchers want to integrate an adapted system into 100 apartments as a test run.