[Personal emergency call system based on human vital and system technical parameters in a Smart Home environment]

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Assistive Technology
• Smart Home Technology

Background:

• Advancements in microtechnology and radio transmission have led to reliable emergency-call systems.
• Existing systems primarily rely on manual activation, posing limitations for the elderly and disabled.
• Immediate assistance is critical for individuals living independently who may face emergencies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current emergency-call systems for the elderly and disabled.
• To propose advanced systems for automatic emergency detection.
• To enhance the safety and independence of at-home elderly and disabled individuals.

Main Methods:

• Discussion of the technical state-of-the-art in emergency-call systems.
• Proposal of alternative systems utilizing vital parameter monitoring.
• Integration of environmental parameters within a smart-home context.

Main Results:

• Manual emergency-call buttons offer limited safety coverage.
• Automatic alarm systems based on vital parameters enhance emergency detection.
• Increased reliability in identifying emergencies through the use of multiple parameters.

Conclusions:

• Current manual emergency-call systems are insufficient for all situations.
• Automatic systems incorporating vital and environmental parameters offer improved safety.
• Multi-parameter data fusion significantly enhances the accuracy of emergency situation identification.