Energy and Accuracy Trade-Offs in Accelerometry-Based Activity Recognition

Driven by real-world applications such as fitness, wellbeing and healthcare, accelerometry-based activity recognition has been widely studied to provide context-awareness to future pervasive technologies. Accurate recognition and energy efficiency are key issues in enabling long-term and unobtrusive monitoring. While the majority of accelerometry-based activity recognition systems stream data to a central point for processing, some solutions process data locally on the sensor node to save energy. In this paper, we investigate the trade-offs between classification accuracy and energy efficiency by comparing on- and off-node schemes. An empirical energy model is presented and used to evaluate the energy efficiency of both systems, and a practical case study (monitoring the physical activities of office workers) is developed to evaluate the effect on classification accuracy. The results show a 40% energy saving can be obtained with a 13% reduction in classification accuracy, but this performance depends heavily on the wearer’s activity

Design fictions:a tool for debating societal, legal and ethical aspects of personal and pervasive health systems

The potential benefits offered by health-related technologies are counterpoised by the societal, legal and ethical challenges concomitant with the pervasive monitoring of people necessitated by such technological interventions. Through the ProtoPolicy research project we explored the production and use of design fictions as a tool for debating the societal, legal and ethical dimensions of personal health systems. Two design fictions were co-created and tested in a series of design workshops with community groups based in Lancashire and Cornwall, UK. A thematic analysis of a debate among older people from the Lancaster group on the Smart Object Therapist (SOT) design fiction highlighted societal and ethical issues relevant to personal health system design. We conclude that ethics like ‘usability’ may be usefully based on engagement with directly or indirectly implicated publics and should not be designed into innovation by experts alone

Smart homecare system for health tele-monitoring

© 2007 IEEE. An increasing aged population worldwide puts our medical capabilities to the test. Research and commercial groups are investigating novel ways to care for the aged and chronically ill both in their own homes and in care facilities. This paper describes a prototype we have developed for remote healthcare monitoring. This personalized smart homecare system uses smart phones, wireless sensors, web servers and IP webcams. To illustrate the functionality of the prototype we describe a series of typical tele-health monitoring scenarios

REAL-TIME MULTI-PATIENT MONITORING SYSTEM USING ARM AND WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK

Mobile Multi patient monitoring device has become increasingly important in Hospital wards to record real-time data during normal activity for better treatment. However, the current quality and reliability have not been satisfactory due to the size, weight, distance of coverage and also high power consumption. This paper provides a solution for enhancing the reliability, flexibility by improving the performance and power management of the real-time multi-patient monitoring system (MPMS). In the current proposed system the patient health is continuously monitored by the MPMS and the acquired data is transmitted to a centralized ARM server using Wireless Sensor Networks. A ZigBee node is connected to every patient monitor system which will send the patient\u27s vital information .Upon system boot up, the mobile patient monitor system will continuously monitor the patients vital parameters like Heart Beat, body temperature etc and will periodically send those parameters to a centralized server using ZigBee node configured as co-coordinator. If a particular patient’s health parameter falls below the threshold value, a buzzer alert is triggered by the ARM server. Along with a buzzer an automated SMS is posted to the pre-configured Doctors mobile number using a standard GSM module interfaced to the ARM server. The Doctor is continuously connected to the ARM server using GSM Module and he/she can get a record of a particular patient’s information by just posting a SMS message to the centralized ARM server. This will reduce treatment time, cost and power consumption to a greater extent. At the same time, the efficiency of examining ward will be improved by making the system more real-time and robust

Improving health outcomes for the elderly an analytic framework

The authors present an analytic framework for investigating interactive gaming technologies and integrating a number of such technologies into a remote healthcare monioring system (ReMoteCare) to help improve the quality of life of the elderly, the chronically unwell and infirm whether they are living in their own homes or in aged care facilities. The framework covers population characteristics of the cohort, the interactive technologies as well as economic and environmental factors. It is anticipated that a series of interactive exercises, developed in conjunction with a Feldenkrais movement therapist who specializes in exercises for the elderly, will help to improve the physical and mental health outcomes of this cohort

Chapter xCARE: A Development Platform for Supporting Smart and Pervasive Healthcare

We are assisting to an important change in the healthcare domain where healthy citizens and patients are more and more in the center and become active partners in the entire process. In this scenario, smart and pervasive solutions assume a relevant role for remotely assisting citizens and patients together with their carers and supporting the overall team of professionals. From a software-engineering perspective, to follow and/or anticipate changes in requirements, modular solutions must be investigated and developed. Moreover, issues like personalization, adaptation, and scalability must be considered from the very beginning. In this chapter, we present xCARE, a microservices-based platform explicitly implemented to support the development of smart and pervasive healthcare systems. To show the potentiality and adaptability of xCARE, three relevant applications are presented: (i) a self-management system to support chronic complex patients; (ii) a patient management system that allows the team of professionals to assist patients before a major surgery together with a self-management system for the patients themselves; and (iii) an automatic self-management system for healthy citizens that want to follow healthier habits and that supports behavioral change

Challenges in health smart homes

This paper presents an overview of the challenges in developing Health Smart Homes targeting, in particular, elderly and impaired people. As such, it identifies the current endeavors as well as the main areas of research

Technologia jako sojusznik: odnowiona odporność i duchowość dzięki wpływowi rzeczywistości rozszerzonej (AR) w kontekście demencji i zaburzeń poznawczych

Augmented reality (AR) is a resource that, when applied to people with dementia and cognitive impairment, reduces the latency of response to stimuli and facilitates the development of personal abilities, with greater autonomy and quality of life. Broadening the range of an individual’s functioning has an impact not only on an operational level, but also on a spiritual level. The autonomy provided by AR impacts the person’s self-awareness and allows them to recognize themselves as an agent of change capable of actively and consciously triggering cognitive processes. In other words, it strengthens their internal control center, which is referred to in the scientific literature as a pillar of resilience. At the same time, identity empowerment benefits the spiritual health of the person, linked to resilience and referred to as a factor in health and emotional well-being.Rzeczywistość rozszerzona (AR) to narzędzie, które zastosowane u osób z demencją i zaburzeniami poznawczymi zmniejsza opóźnienie reakcji na bodźce, umożliwiając rozwój zdolności osobistych przy zachowaniu większej autonomii i jakości życia. Poszerzenie zakresu tych funkcji ma wpływ nie tylko na poziomie operacyjnym, ale także na poziomie duchowym. Autonomia, jaką zapewnia AR, wpływa na samoświadomość człowieka i pozwala mu uznać siebie samego za sprawcę zmian w swoim życiu, który jest w stanie aktywnie i świadomie uruchamiać procesy poznawcze. Inaczej mówiąc, AR wzmacnia wewnętrzny ośrodek kontroli tychże procesów, który w literaturze naukowej określany jest jako podstawa odporności. Jednocześnie wzmocnienie tożsamości osoby przynosi korzyści w aspekcie duchowym, co jest powiązane z odpornością i określane jako czynnik zdrowia i dobrego samopoczucia emocjonalnego

The Potential of Three Computer-Based Communication Activities for Supporting Older Adult Independent Living

Technology has become an increasingly integral part of life. For example, technology allows individuals to stay in touch with loved ones, obtain medical services through telehealthcare, and enjoy an overall higher quality of life. Particularly for older adults, using technology increases the likelihood that they will maintain their independence and autonomy. Long-distance caregiving has recently become a feasible option where caregivers for older adults can access reports and information about their loved one’s patterns that day (e.g., food and medication intake). Technology may be able to offset age-related challenges (e.g., caregiving, accessing healthcare, decreased social networks) by applying technology to the needs of older adults. Solutions for meeting such challenges, however, have been less targeted. In addition, the healthcare system is evolving to focus on providing options and services in the home. This has direct implications for older adults, as the majority of healthcare services are utilized by older adults. Research is still at the beginning stages of developing successful technology tools that are compatible with older adult users. Therefore, the design, implementation, and outcome of such computer-based communication activities will be discussed in this paper in order to guide future endeavors in technology marketed for older adults