Managing the Fall Risk in Smart Homes Using Monocular Cameras, Ambient Sensors and an Interactive Social Robot

Abstract

One of the biggest challenges faced by older adults is the risk of falling. Falls and the fear of falling cause serious physical and mental health issues. They are also a very impacting factor on the independence of the individual. This paper approaches the problem through the view of a population afflicted by the self-neglect syndrome. Therefore, we propose the NAOREA system, using monocular cameras, various ambient sensors and a humanoid social robot, to manage the risk of falling through a step-by-step process. This system achieved up to 100% detection rates of obstacles for proactive fall control in a real-home setting, as well as a 87% detection rates of falls after they happened.