Students: Michael Rivera, Borja Burgos-Galindo, Jason Cordero

Mentor: Otis Smart

Goals

-          Acquire data from Georgia Tech Aware Home and other relevant projects

-          Design multi-faceted system to detect falls of people in home environment

-          Implement design in Georgia Tech Aware Home

Description

The motivation behind the project is to lower the high death rates after an elderly person falls at home when unattended. The deaths are not caused by the fall, but rather by the person not being able to get help immediately. The phones are out of reach once the person is on the floor and living alone prevents anyone else from knowing about the fall. A system that detects the falls and informs the necessary people would not only help the people living alone, but also their families and anyone who would be affected by the serious injury to or the death of that person. 

Method Overview

The design will use vibration sensors at the core. The vibration sensors will detect if an object has fallen and where the fall occurred. Next, load cell sensors will detect if there is a mass still in the area that generated the vibrations. Next a voice system will ask the person if assistance is required or not. If no response or a negative response is recognized, then a picture will be taken of the place in question and sent to a chain of people and places that can help the person on the ground. Other types of notices will also be generated by the computers in the Aware Home and sent to the chain of people as well. 

Due to the numerous sensors and detection devices, a system of checks is built into the system. This would limit the number of false calls sent out and help to prevent any falls from going unnoticed.

Schedule

January

Reevaluate project and check progress of other projects in same field.

Decide type of data needed and attempt to acquire data.

February until…

Acquire and analyze data.

Research sensors and the possibility of working with the sensors.

Decide poster material and design poster.