AAL open source system for the monitoring and intelligent control of nursing homes

Abstract

IoT can dramatically improve the quality of life of aged population. In this regard, Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) and Active and Healthy Aging (AHA) are fields with an enormous potential to benefit from the current growth of IoT within our society. We present SAFE-ECH, an innovative intelligent AAL open source system for monitoring nursing homes. SAFE-ECH creates an Ambient Intelligent environment in a residence by collecting and storing sensor monitoring data, performing intelligent data analysis and specific actions to enhance the safety, comfort and efficient care of aged people. Our system allows caregivers to access the system to retrieve monitoring information and perform control actions. Our system implements open standards of the Open Geospatial Consortium complying with Observations & Measurements Schema (O&M), SensorML and Sensor Web Enablement (SWE) specifications. A key element is a Sensor Observation Service (SOS) for sensor data collection and management from heterogeneous sensor networks. A Complex Event Processor represents the intelligence of the system. Our system adapts to the specific needs of each nursing home, integrating the required sensors, actuators, rules and services. It is scalable and allows the management of several residences simultaneously.