Cost effective patient location monitoring system using webcams

This paper details the development of a simple webcam joystick, a wireless, or rather cableless, and contactless pointing device by using a webcam and a simple flexible non-electronic joystick. Such a system requires no power source on the joystick, allows for light, robust and very mobile joysticks, and can be extended into a large array of applications. This paper proposes the use of small webcam joysticks as sensors for recording movement, the way wireless sensors are used. Specifically, it could be used as a simple navigation and monitoring system for patient movement in medical wards, where knowledge of patient location and movement could provide instant assistance, pre-emptive action and also hinder untoward patient mix-ups. Experiments and discussions in this paper highlight how a successful implementation is possible, and emphasize the flexibility of such an implementation in a low cost medical environment.