Active assistance for senior healthcare: A wearable system for fall detection

Abstract

Elders lose independence and wellbeing, accompanied by decreased functions in terms of hearing, vision, strength and coordination abilities. These factors contribute to balance difficulties that eventually lead to falls. The injuries due to falls,\nat this age, are risky, since most of the times may cause a significant – and permanent – decrease of quality of life or, in\nextreme cases, death. In this context, a fall detection system can bring an added value to assist elderly people.This paper describes a system consisting of a wearable sensor\nunit, a smartphone and a website. When the sensor detects a fall it sends an alert using the smartphone via Bluetooth 4.0, to notify\nthe family members or stakeholders. The sensor device includes an inertial unit, a barometer, and a temperature and humidity\nsensor. The website displays the log of previous falls and enables the configuration of emergency contact numbers. The proposed fall detection system is one of multiple components within a larger project under development that offers a holistic\nperspective on falls; the complete wearable solution will also feature, among others, physical protection (minimizing the\nimpact of falls that occur).