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Development of an automated speech recognition interface for Personal Emergency Response Systems
Melinda Hamill1, Vicky Young, Jennifer Boger
1The Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, ON, Canada. melinda.mclean@utoronto.ca
Journal of Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation
|July 9, 2009
Summary
A new automated, hands-free Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) uses voice commands for seniors aging in place. This dialogue-based system offers greater autonomy and privacy compared to traditional button-based PERS devices.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Assistive Technology
Background:
- Increasing demand for long-term care facilities due to the aging baby boomer generation.
- Aging-in-place is a preferred option for seniors, reducing the burden on healthcare systems.
- Traditional Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) have limitations, including reliance on wearable buttons and potential for intrusive false alarms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and test an automated, hands-free, dialogue-based PERS prototype.
- To improve upon traditional PERS by offering a more accessible and less intrusive emergency response solution.
- To enhance the ability of older adults to age-in-place independently.
Main Methods:
- Development of a prototype system using a ceiling-mounted microphone array and an open-source automatic speech recognition engine.
- Implementation of a 'yes'/'no' response dialogue modeled after existing call-center protocols.
- Comparative testing of a single microphone versus a microphone array in noisy and quiet conditions with adult participants.
Main Results:
- The microphone array showed improved performance over a single microphone.
- Dialogue testing successfully enabled the system to correctly determine the user's requested assistance in all tested cases.
- Further research is needed with elderly voices and varied noise conditions.
Conclusions:
- Automated, dialogue-based PERS offers potential for increased user autonomy and privacy.
- This technology can support seniors in aging-in-place with greater independence.
- Future developments include integrating emergency detection and enhancing communication features.
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