Radar and RGB-depth sensors for fall detection: a review

This paper reviews recent works in the literature on the use of systems based on radar and RGB-Depth (RGB-D) sensors for fall detection, and discusses outstanding research challenges and trends related to this research field. Systems to detect reliably fall events and promptly alert carers and first responders have gained significant interest in the past few years in order to address the societal issue of an increasing number of elderly people living alone, with the associated risk of them falling and the consequences in terms of health treatments, reduced well-being, and costs. The interest in radar and RGB-D sensors is related to their capability to enable contactless and non-intrusive monitoring, which is an advantage for practical deployment and users’ acceptance and compliance, compared with other sensor technologies, such as video-cameras, or wearables. Furthermore, the possibility of combining and fusing information from The heterogeneous types of sensors is expected to improve the overall performance of practical fall detection systems. Researchers from different fields can benefit from multidisciplinary knowledge and awareness of the latest developments in radar and RGB-D sensors that this paper is discussing

Nonlinear Time-Frequency Control Theory with Applications

Nonlinear control is an important subject drawing much attention. When a nonlinear system undergoes route-to-chaos, its response is naturally bounded in the time-domain while in the meantime becoming unstably broadband in the frequency-domain. Control scheme facilitated either in the time- or frequency-domain alone is insufficient in controlling route-to-chaos, where the corresponding response deteriorates in the time and frequency domains simultaneously. It is necessary to facilitate nonlinear control in both the time and frequency domains without obscuring or misinterpreting the true dynamics. The objective of the dissertation is to formulate a novel nonlinear control theory that addresses the fundamental characteristics inherent of all nonlinear systems undergoing route-to-chaos, one that requires no linearization or closed-form solution so that the genuine underlying features of the system being considered are preserved. The theory developed herein is able to identify the dynamic state of the system in real-time and restrain time-varying spectrum from becoming broadband. Applications of the theory are demonstrated using several engineering examples including the control of a non-stationary Duffing oscillator, a 1-DOF time-delayed milling model, a 2-DOF micro-milling system, unsynchronized chaotic circuits, and a friction-excited vibrating disk. Not subject to all the mathematical constraint conditions and assumptions upon which common nonlinear control theories are based and derived, the novel theory has its philosophical basis established in the simultaneous time-frequency control, on-line system identification, and feedforward adaptive control. It adopts multi-rate control, hence enabling control over nonstationary, nonlinear response with increasing bandwidth ? a physical condition oftentimes fails the contemporary control theories. The applicability of the theory to complex multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) systems without resorting to mathematical manipulation and extensive computation is demonstrated through the multi-variable control of a micro-milling system. The research is of a broad impact on the control of a wide range of nonlinear and chaotic systems. The implications of the nonlinear time-frequency control theory in cutting, micro-machining, communication security, and the mitigation of friction-induced vibrations are both significant and immediate

Real-time human ambulation, activity, and physiological monitoring:taxonomy of issues, techniques, applications, challenges and limitations

Automated methods of real-time, unobtrusive, human ambulation, activity, and wellness monitoring and data analysis using various algorithmic techniques have been subjects of intense research. The general aim is to devise effective means of addressing the demands of assisted living, rehabilitation, and clinical observation and assessment through sensor-based monitoring. The research studies have resulted in a large amount of literature. This paper presents a holistic articulation of the research studies and offers comprehensive insights along four main axes: distribution of existing studies; monitoring device framework and sensor types; data collection, processing and analysis; and applications, limitations and challenges. The aim is to present a systematic and most complete study of literature in the area in order to identify research gaps and prioritize future research directions

Sensors for Vital Signs Monitoring

Sensor technology for monitoring vital signs is an important topic for various service applications, such as entertainment and personalization platforms and Internet of Things (IoT) systems, as well as traditional medical purposes, such as disease indication judgments and predictions. Vital signs for monitoring include respiration and heart rates, body temperature, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, electrocardiogram, blood glucose concentration, brain waves, etc. Gait and walking length can also be regarded as vital signs because they can indirectly indicate human activity and status. Sensing technologies include contact sensors such as electrocardiogram (ECG), electroencephalogram (EEG), photoplethysmogram (PPG), non-contact sensors such as ballistocardiography (BCG), and invasive/non-invasive sensors for diagnoses of variations in blood characteristics or body fluids. Radar, vision, and infrared sensors can also be useful technologies for detecting vital signs from the movement of humans or organs. Signal processing, extraction, and analysis techniques are important in industrial applications along with hardware implementation techniques. Battery management and wireless power transmission technologies, the design and optimization of low-power circuits, and systems for continuous monitoring and data collection/transmission should also be considered with sensor technologies. In addition, machine-learning-based diagnostic technology can be used for extracting meaningful information from continuous monitoring data

High frequency oscillations as a correlate of visual perception

“NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in International journal of psychophysiology. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in International journal of psychophysiology , 79, 1, (2011) DOI 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2010.07.004Peer reviewedPostprin