Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Home Monitoring / Elderly Care project reboot

This blog has been an  on-and-off  forum for my Home Monitoring project for Elderly people. (A non-intrusive, internet aware means of keeping track of Grandma/Grandpa).

For the past year I've been exploring different technologies, from X10 to Z-Wave to Cameras to homebrew sensors.

Within just a year, prices have dropped dramatically on embedded (ARM) computers, Android tablets, and USB/Wi-Fi cameras.  I'm not so much dedicated to cheap hardware, but I am open to any options given the steep prices for Z-Wave and other proprietary tech.

More info to come.  This is going to be interesting and... different.

For background, check out:

http://toddbot.blogspot.com/2012/08/webcam-based-motion-detection-unix-style.html
http://toddbot.blogspot.com/2012/06/my-home-monitoring-project-goals.html


Stay tuned.
/todd

6 comments:

  1. First off, great idea with the home monitoring using the webcam. Earlier this year, the facet blew out on my furnace and water was spraying everywhere. Had I not been home, that could have completely destroyed a large portion of my house. For that reason, I have defnitely been looking into various options to keep a close eye on things for when I am away.

    On another note. What a fantastic idea for using the monitoring for checking in on others. I am all for independent living for the elderly. I work for a walk in bathtub company that helps those looking to install safer bathing solutions, find the perfect bathtub. (If interested, http://walkinbathtubreview.org/). This enables those that are elderly or facing mobility issues live independently for as long as possible. It also allows for easier in-home care if that is a feasible option for the family.

    Anyway, stay on this!! You are definitely on to something BIG!

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  2. Thanks for the comments.
    I'm making progress. In particular, I am close to finishing a prototype stove monitor.

    There will be more posted here as that happens, and I intend on making the source code free (open source).

    ReplyDelete
  3. Interesting and great idea. Are the devices can be controlled through mobile phones remotely?

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  4. My intent is to do mostly remote monitoring. Remote control (over the Internet) is a security nightmare. If not done correctly, your devices may get hacked.

    This is full of issues that I encounter in my day job ;)

    ReplyDelete
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    ReplyDelete
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    ReplyDelete