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Home: Safety: Elderly
no motion sensor   (+18)  [vote for, against]
alerts you if there is no motion..

set one up in your mother's house. If there is no motion in say, 3 months, you may want to consider giving her a call. if she doesn't answer, you could make plans next week to pop on over and see how she is getting on.

thanking you in advance for the negatives.

{{ 4 star bun rating ::::viewed 0:4:9:9:::: times }}
-- r_kreher, Jun 12 2008

Positive "O" Sign http://www.donshewe...1_zine/doctalk.html
To differentiate between GOMER and positive "O" sign. [Klaatu, Jun 12 2008]

Radar on a chip http://ieeexplore.i...04263932.pdf?temp=x
Magical radar system part I [TIB, Jun 13 2008]

More of the same http://www.pubmedce....fcgi?artid=2277553
Part II [TIB, Jun 13 2008]

This actually states an intriguing problem which has taxed the resourcefulness of many quite talented individuals.

Question: "How does on detect the presence of a person who is deeply asleep on a bed in a room ?"

Consider: The occupant of the bed is not moving significantly. Their body temperature, at the surface at least, is lowered; ther respiration is slow and produces little CO2. And they are likely to be covered with a blanket, which reduces and diffuses their thermal emissions.

Most personnel sensor technologies, be they infra-red (passive or active), ultrasonic, radar, or optical (image recognition) rely on movement; detecting a change in the sensed environment. A sleeping person isn't producing much in the way of changes ....

Any thoughts ?
-- 8th of 7, Jun 12 2008


All you need is an electronic fly trap that sounds an alarm if it gets too busy - or is that a bit nasty? I call my mother every single day at 9 am - she's 90 and as sharp as a button, but likes a wake up call. + for the sentiment, but why would you ignore a vulnerable person for 3 months?
-- xenzag, Jun 12 2008


//alerts you if there is no motion//
aka "museum mode".
-- coprocephalous, Jun 12 2008


//but why would you ignore a vulnerable person for 3 months?//

hmmmmmm.. why yes. Yes! I do see your point of view. Perhaps an adjustable rheostat, so one could adjust it to say.... three hours? one hour? 20 minutes?
-- r_kreher, Jun 12 2008


//Any thoughts ?//

web cam?
-- r_kreher, Jun 12 2008


//Any thoughts?//

Set off the fire alarm, then detect motion.

Seriously though, use a weight detection unit in the bed (or perhaps beer-coaster-like sensor wedged under the feet of the bed)
-- Jinbish, Jun 12 2008


//Question: "How does on detect the presence of a person who is deeply asleep on a bed in a room ?"//

OK, some questions:
As opposed to what?
How close can the sensor be?
Does it have to cost less than £999.99?

-- Ling, Jun 12 2008


With face recognition software, just have it look for a positive "O" sign. <link>
-- Klaatu, Jun 12 2008


//A sleeping person isn't producing much//
Based on my experience with IR sensors, if it's pointed at an angle anywhere near the bed, it detects motion frequently (like at 3AM, occupants immobile and fast asleep). It was somebody's big idea to automatically turn on the room light. That feature was eliminated.

This also makes the idea very baked, although not in a self-contained device. You can program "X10" controllers to perform tasks at intervals, based on sensor readings, including making phone calls. So every 20 minutes of no motion, the machine can phone Mom, play the message "Are you still alive?", and record the response. So I only need to review the recordings after 10 years or so, and if the trend is that she's not alive, I can take the appropriate action. Then I'd have more time for whatever I do besides visiting my own dear mother once in a while.
-- Amos Kito, Jun 12 2008


could yer mum call me mum? does she play pinochle?
-- r_kreher, Jun 12 2008


My Granny would soon find that if she moves very slowly and avoids the sensors, her grandson would come visit.
-- n81641, Jun 12 2008


[+] Bun for the concept. The technology is currently available to do this, even though there has never been a need for this kind of application. The higher end motion detectors have 2 sets of terminals and can be wired to break the circuit when there is no motion (vs. making the break when there is) and if you use a PC based alarm system, you could program in a 3 to 4 hour delay time.
-- Jscotty, Jun 12 2008


If it's just a dead-granny detector you need, [8th of 7], radar could periodically (like every 2 mins) peer in and watch her heart beating. This would be especially easy if she was only monitored whilst sleeping in her usual spot.
-- TIB, Jun 12 2008


we all done here??? ok then, let go of the mouse, LET.... GO.... OF... THE... MOUSE... come on now, you can do it... let it go... good!!! Now pick up the phone, PUT DOWN THE MOUSE!!! pick up the phone... good. now call yer mum.
-- r_kreher, Jun 12 2008


//If it's just a dead-granny detector you need, [8th of 7], radar could periodically (like every 2 mins) peer in and watch her heart beating. This would be especially easy if she was only monitored whilst sleeping in her usual spot.//

I call bullsh^t. "peer in" where, how, etc. Are you talking something akin to ground-penetrating radar? How would a radar detect the heart with any accuracy, let alone have the resolution and acuity to detect whether it is beating? GPR works on detecting varying absorbence of the radar energy, or more specifically, reflectance. Other similar technologies can detect varying density. I doubt either could reliably resolve a heart, and certainly not from afar. You might do better detecting the void of the lungs. Maybe.

8th, way back up there ^^ put the issue rather succinctly. It's not easy at all. Magic radar won't help.

<jesus, grumble grumble. Seems I took my grumpy pill today>
-- Custardguts, Jun 13 2008


You did take a grumpy pill. See links. Not magic (or BS), science!

My turn to grumble...
-- TIB, Jun 13 2008


Grumble back.

//next-generation wearable //

The operative word being wearable. If we wanted granny to wear something, we could do more than just monitor her heartbeat.
-- Custardguts, Jun 13 2008


From the first link:

"Technology that can be used to unobtrusively detect and monitor the presence of human subjects from a distance and through barriers can be a powerful tool for law enforcement, military, and health monitoring applications. To this end, ultra-wide band radar has shown promise for real-time subject imaging, and compact Doppler radar solutions have demonstrated potential for providing non-invasive detection and monitoring of cardiopulmonary activity for multiple subjects. These technologies work through walls and other obstructions, and can even leverage the presence of ambient radio signals to provide a covert means to detect, isolate, and physiologically monitor multiple human subjects from a remote position."

Anyway... on to more fun things.
-- TIB, Jun 13 2008


Closing time!! Let's go gentlemen.. TIme to go home. TIB?? Come on TIB. Let's go. Coprocephalous, Could you wake up Xenzag? Good. Let's go. Come on!! COME ON!! No, the jukebox isn't broken. I unplugged it hours ago. You can hear Herman's Hermits next time you come in. Go on now. I have to clean up.
-- r_kreher, Jun 13 2008


lights dim. fade to black.
-- r_kreher, Jun 13 2008


<whatever the internet equivalent of the test card is>
-- hippo, Jun 13 2008


Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep ...................... <click>
-- 8th of 7, Jun 13 2008



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