A BLE based turnkey indoor positioning system for mobility assessment in aging-in-place settings

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Indoor positioning systems (IPS) are crucial for monitoring home mobility, a key health indicator.
• Existing IPS often require floorplans or complex installations, limiting their practical application.
• There is a need for user-friendly, adaptable IPS for unobtrusive health monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and develop a user-friendly, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) based IPS for individual identification and on-site setup.
• To implement a dynamic calibration method for learning room boundaries using BLE signal strength.
• To validate the functionality and performance of the developed IPS in residential settings.

Main Methods:

• Developed a BLE-based IPS capable of user identification without requiring floorplans.
• Implemented dynamic calibration using Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) distribution to define room boundaries.
• Integrated PIR motion and ultrasonic sensors to enhance positioning accuracy.
• Validated the system in two homes, comparing detected room locations with ground truth over 300 positions.

Main Results:

• The IPS achieved 96% accuracy in correctly detecting room locations.
• The integration of motion sensors significantly improved positioning validity compared to existing systems.
• Raw and filtered RSSI, along with RSSI variability, were key metrics during testing.

Conclusions:

• The developed BLE-based IPS offers high accuracy and ease of use for home mobility monitoring.
• Its modular design and on-site setup capability make it suitable for large-scale smart healthcare systems.
• The system provides a valuable tool for unobtrusive health and wellbeing assessments in residential environments.