Development of a low-cost smart home system using wireless environmental monitoring sensors for functionally independent elderly people

Abstract

The number of older adults is increasing much faster than the other age groups in the world. Especially in Japan, more and more older adult are becoming functionally independent. The smart home are appearing which provides comfort and monitors the life of the residents. However, when thinking about healthy older adults, there are two important points to take into account for the smart home: providing comfort and monitoring the position inside the house of the older adults on their daily life. This can also help their families giving them peace of mind. In this study, we designed a smart home system which includes low-cost sensor parts and a finger robot. This system can be used to control home appliances, such as air conditioners to keep the residents in a comfortable environment. Without the need of additional sensors only by using CO2 sensors, this system can provide information such as the room the resident is in, or if he/she is at home or not. As a result, we show a working system and the CO2 sensor is able to judge the position of the resident, and we are even able to understand the movement path of the resident.