Automatic radar-based 2-D localization exploiting vital signs signatures

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Signal Processing
• Geriatric Technology

Background:

• The growing elderly population necessitates advanced remote patient monitoring solutions.
• Existing technologies may have limitations in continuously monitoring stationary individuals.
• Accurate detection and localization of individuals are crucial for effective healthcare.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel radar system for remote monitoring of stationary elderly individuals.
• To automatically detect the number and two-dimensional (2D) position (azimuth and range) of people.
• To extract vital signs signatures for individual identification and monitoring.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a single-input-multiple-output (SIMO) frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar system.
• Development of a signal processing technique to separate vital sign Doppler shifts from static reflections and multipaths.
• Counting extracted vital signs signatures to determine the number of subjects and localizing them by sensing vital sign origin.

Main Results:

• Accurate detection of the number of stationary individuals.
• Precise 2D localization with maximum mean absolute errors of 0.1 m for range and 2.29° for azimuth.
• Maximum root-mean-square errors of 0.12 m for range and 3.04° for azimuth.
• Successful experimental validation in monitoring paired subjects in an office environment.

Conclusions:

• The proposed SIMO FMCW radar system and signal processing technique effectively monitor stationary individuals.
• The system accurately determines the number and 2D position of subjects by extracting vital signs.
• This technology holds significant potential for long-term remote patient monitoring in geriatric care.