Review of Existing Sensors for Tracking the Activities of Daily Living

Abstract

Today, various sensor technologies have been introduced to help people keep track of their daily living activities. For example, a wide range of sensors were integrated in applications to develop a smart home, a mobile emergency response system and a fall detection system. Sensor technologies were also employed in clinical settings for monitoring an early sign or onset of Alzheimer’s diseases, dementia, abnormal sleep disorder, and heart rate problems. However, there has been a lack of attention paid to comprehensive reviews, valuable especially for young, early-career scholars who just developed research interests in this area. This paper reviewed the existing sensor technologies by considering various contexts such as sensor features, data of interests, locations of sensors, and the number of sensors. For instance, sensor technologies provided various features that enabled people to monitor biomechanics of human movement (e.g., walking speed), use of household goods (e.g., switch on/off of home appliances), sounds (e.g., sounds in a particular room), and surrounding environments (e.g., temperature and humidity). Sensor technologies were widely used to examine various data, such as biomarkers for health, dietary habits, leisure activities, and hygiene status. Sensors were installed in various locations to cover wide-open area (e.g., ceilings, wall, and hallway), specific area (e.g., a bedroom and a dining room), and specific objects (e.g., mattresses and windows). Different sets of sensors were employed to keep track of activities of daily living, which ranged from a single sensor to multiple sensors to cover throughout the home. This comprehensive reviews for sensor technology implementations are anticipated to help many researchers and professionals to design, develop, and use sensor technology applications adequately in the target user’s contexts by promoting safety, usability, and accessibility.