Oregon Public Broadcasting

This next story is bound to hit home, either for you or an aging parent or grandparent.

Many elderly or disabled people could stay in their own homes longer if they had some type of monitored living arrangement.

Now at Washington State University, computer scientists have equipped an apartment with a web of sensors that monitor the residents to ensure they’re taking care of themselves.  Correspondent Tom Banse paid a visit.

Brian Thomas was a human lab rat during the last academic year.

PULLMAN, Wash. – WSU computer science student Brian Thomas relaxes in the “smart apartment.”

Brian Thomas: “Nice place, free rent.”

The computer science major lived in a mock up of a so-called ‘smart’ home in Pullman.

Brian Thomas: “Like in the kitchen here, we have this burner hooked up to a power detector so we can tell when you’re using the stove and approximately what setting you have it set to.”

The on-campus townhouse is wired top-to-bottom.  Wires run everywhere... connecting about 60 motion detectors, another dozen sensors on doors, the fridge, microwave, and under the sink.  There were even motion detectors over Thomas’ bed.

Brian Thomas: “I can understand how somebody who is not directly familiar with these sensors might be slightly uncomfortable with having them in their room. But because all they detect is whether there is motion below them or not, I was perfectly comfortable with them being in there.”

The point of all this is to train a computer to monitor the activities of daily living.  Thomas is a student.  The goal long term is to check up on moms and dads.  How well are they taking care of themselves?  The system could step in for a minor senior moment.

Computer voice: “Please close the refrigerator door.”

Computer scientist Diane Cook says more serious health or safety issues would generate an alert to an outside caregiver.

Diane Cook: “So the caregiver might want to have a weekly report of how the individual is doing on their own.  What activities are they performing on a regular basis? Whereas in contrast they might want a pager for the more critical situations – a fall – or the environment left in a state that is unsafe, such as a burner is left on and the resident is unresponsive.”

Cook’s research team has pulled in about $3 million in grants to create a “smart environment” to help older people remain independent longer.  

Initially, Cook is targeting people in the early stages of dementia.  Down the road, she expects the demand to be huge given our aging population and the high cost of assisted living and nursing home care.

Diane Cook: “Individuals don’t want to leave their home even if they live in a rural area and don’t have easy access to health care or family members.  They still will not leave their family home. Studies have shown that when they do -- particularly against their will – that move is often followed by cognitive and physical decline and death many times.”

Cook says retrofitting the student apartment at Washington State University was not-cost prohibitive – “a few thousand dollars.”  She says the development of smart homes is beyond the early stages and moving into real world trials.

Diane Cook: “I would say that the ability to perform activity recognition is less than five years away. In fact, there have been some companies that are starting to license our technology now in order to get it out for commercialization.”

Cook’s research team mostly bought off-the-shelf sensors and computer hardware.  The real challenge in making smart homes a reality is the software programming, pattern recognition and artificial intelligence.

Nora Gibson directs an eldercare non-profit in Seattle as well as a chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.  She wonders how comfortable people over age 85 will feel with a house full of computerized sensors.

Nora Gibson: “Older adults may be suspicious, may feel like they’re being monitored. But I’m a baby boomer.  When I talk to people my age or slightly older, they say, ‘Let me buy that. I want that.’  And they’re not afraid of technology. They’ve seen how technology supports them.”

Gibson has volunteered one of her adult day health centers for real world trials.  She says WSU is far from alone is recognizing the demand here. 

Gibson also works with the Intel Research Labs in Seattle.  The chip company has started a similar project with a slightly different approach.  It uses a high tech wrist band and radio frequency tagged objects in the home.

Online:

Washington State University “Smart Home” Project

Center for Aging Services Technology