Non-Intrusive Bedside Event Recognition Using Infrared Array And Ultrasonic Sensor

Falls in hospitals, in residential care facilities and in home of elderly commonly occur near the bed. Recognizing bedside events may give caretakers the opportunity to intervene, thereby preventing a fall from happening. Most approaches today either use cameras which invade privacy, or sensor devices attached to bed. In this paper an experimental approach for recognizing bedside events using a ceiling mounted 60 x 80 longwave infrared array combined with an ultrasonic sensor device is presented. This novel approach makes it possible to monitor activity while preserving privacy in a non-intrusive manner.