Using Smartwatch as Telecare and Fall Detection Device

Abstract

The constant increase of the elderly population and the need to prolong the independent live, is driving the development of telecare systems. Two of the key factors of such systems are their simplicity of usage and minimal obtrusiveness. Therefore, in this paper we propose a practical, intuitive and simple smartwatch-based telecare system. The system has several functionalities, including: automatic fall detection, activity analysis, SOS red button, location information, and reminders. The proposed system can work indoors as well as outdoors, and is completely independent, i.e., it requires only a SIM card to function and does not depend on base stations, internet connection, Bluetooth and similar. The evaluation of the fall detection algorithm showed that it detects all of the fast falls and minimizes the false positives, achieving 85% accuracy.