Although talking fridges and personal health applications for your BlackBerry may sound like something from the future, the technology to measure our daily routine and a home that reminds us to take care of ourselves is not that far away. In fact, it’s right here in Ottawa.
New technology developed by Carleton researchers will help monitor seniors and others suffering from health issues without compromising their independence.
Carleton dean of engineering and design Rafik Goubran, along with Carleton students and the Elizabeth BruyèreResearch Institute, have developed a “smart fridge sensor” which monitors usage of the appliance and whether or not the fridge is closed.
“We are talking about unobtrusive technologies,” said Jodie Taylor, the project manager of the research program at Elisabeth Bruyère, where the technology is being tested this week.
If a senior fails to close the door, a verbal reminder will tell the senior to do so. This stops food spoilage that could make the individual sick. This technology can be really useful for those with Alzheimer’s disease.
“[The smart fridge sensor is] part of a bigger system, it is part of a number of smart technologies deployed in the apartment to monitor the health and well-being of the person,” Goubran said.
“The objective of the technology is meant to keep seniors independent,” Taylor said.
“The smartness is involved in the room where the senior is living. We don’t require them to do anything different, there is no intrusion in any way because the information is analysed as it is happening,” Goubran said.
Some of the other technologies developed include stovetop sensors and a bed mat that records sleeping patterns. The system can then use the data to pinpoint abnormalities in the routine of the senior and could lead to an alert.
Alerts can range from verbal commands to calling 911.
The bed mat, for example, can measure such slight movements that it can detect abnormal breathing rates and contact the senior’s doctor or family members.
The smart technology is not only for seniors but “could be used with people with long-term health issues,” Goubran said, and even to monitor breathing rates in infants.
“If homes are equipped with these technologies perhaps [patients] could leave earlier from the hospital,” Goubran said, taking the burden off the health-care system.
Goubran is also in the process of creating a BlackBerry application for health-care workers visiting patients’ homes.
The application would allow health-care workers to review any complications recorded that the patient may have had since their last visit.
All of the research for the technology is centred at Carleton where undergraduate, graduates and PhD students are involved in the research of applications for the smart home.