The demographic shift toward an increasingly older population is undeniable: between 1980 and 2017, the number of individuals aged 60+ years more than doubled. Projections indicate that this trend will continue, with another doubling anticipated by 2050. Undoubtedly, this speaks to advancements in healthcare and our prolonged life expectancy. However, it also places significant strains on our already overburdened healthcare systems. We have already seen how fragile our healthcare systems are during the pandemic.
Recognizing the pressing need to prioritize well-being across all age groups, the United Nations (UN) has fervently advocated for active aging and the promotion of healthy lives. In alignment with its 2030 sustainable development goals, the UN has emphasized: "Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all ages" (source: UN Sustainable Development Goals).
In response to this critical need arises SAFE-HOME - a visionary initiative at the forefront of technology. This International CELTIC-NEXT collaborative project was purposefully designed to tackle a critical objective: enabling non-invasive home monitoring for the elderly. The primary objective? Empowering seniors to lead fulfilling, independent lives within their homes, alleviating the need for constant companionship. After two years of dedicated efforts, SAFE-HOME has reached significant milestones, marking a testament to its success.
SAFE-HOME's groundbreaking achievement is the development of a non-invasive monitoring system utilizing optical fiber sensors strategically placed within homes. This network, designed following the latest standards and recommendations, includes optical accelerometers based on fiber Bragg grating (FBG) technology. These sensors detect floor vibrations caused by user movement, tailored specifically for elderly home monitoring. Addressing the critical need for simultaneous fall detection and localization, a novel architecture combines activity recognition with precise localization determination. Leveraging the output from FBG-based accelerometers and harnessing the advantages of AI (Artificial Intelligence), this architecture streamlines processes, eliminating excessive computation, interface development, and latency. This combined approach not only ensures swift, accurate responses crucial for efficient first aid in case of falls but also amplifies the system's capability to monitor elderly movement and detect falls effectively.
Leading the charge in this initiative was Instituto de Telecomunicações (IT), steering the international consortium toward the project's objectives, where Ayman Radwan assumed the role of the Project Coordinator.
The researchers of IT have captured the opportunity, and built upon their diverse expertise, specifically in the areas of optical sensing, efficient networking integrating cloud and fog, and Artificial Intelligence/Machine learning, towards building this International multi-disciplinary project, towards enhancing the life quality of our beloved elderly.
IT Team:
About the project: