1,720,960 research outputs found
The Problem of Monitoring Activities of Older People in Multi-Resident Scenarios: An Innovative and Non-Invasive Measurement System Based on Wearables and PIR Sensors
Full text linkThis paper presents an innovative multi-resident activity detection sensor network that uses the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) signal emitted by tags worn by residents and passive infrared (PIR) motion sensors deployed in the house to locate residents and monitor their activities. This measurement system solves the problem of monitoring older people and measuring their activities in multi-resident scenarios. Metrics are defined to analyze and interpret the collected data to understand daily habits and measure the activity level (AL) of older people. The accuracy of the system in detecting movements and discriminating residents is measured. As the sensor-to-person distance increases, the system decreases its ability to detect small movements, while still being able to detect large ones. The accuracy in discriminating the identity of residents can be improved by up to 96% using the Decision Tree (DT) classifier. The effectiveness of the measurement system is demonstrated in a real multi-resident scenario where two older people are monitored during their daily life. The collected data are processed, obtaining the AL and habits of the older people to assess their behavior
Well-being and comfort of ageing people based on indoor environmental conditions: preliminary study on human-coach conversation
Full text linkThis paper presents a scientific methodology to define human-coach conversation for ageing people through virtual coaches by using indoor environmental quality (IEQ) measurements and Knowledge Graphs (KG). The impact of IEQ, i.e., acoustic, thermal, visual comfort and air quality, specifically for ageing people, is provided to define the use-case focused on improving the well-being and comfort of users starting from the environmental measurements. The sensor network to measure the IEQ in the living environment is composed of an air temperature and humidity sensor, acoustic sensor, CO2 sensor, lux meter, etc. A KG is developed, based on these measurements, in order to define a data-driven conversational strategy between the virtual coach and the user at home. An example of KG is presented to define how the measured parameters in the living environment can affect the human-coach conversation
Using a Smart Living Environment Simulation Tool and Machine Learning to Optimize the Home Sensor Network Configuration for Measuring the Activities of Daily Living of Older People
No full textThis paper describes a methodology to optimize the home sensor network to measure the Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) of older people using Machine Learning (ML) applied to synthetic data generated via a newly developed Smart Living Environment (SLE) simulation tool. A home sensor network consisting of Passive InfraRed (PIR) and door sensors allows people to age in place, avoiding invasiveness of the technology by keeping track of the older users’ behaviour and health conditions. However, it is difficult to identify a priori the optimal sensor network configuration to measure users’ behaviour. To ensure better user acceptability without losing measurement accuracy, the authors proposed a methodology to optimize the home sensor network consisting of simulating human activities, and therefore sensor activations, in the reconstructed SLE and analysing the datasets generated through ML. Four ML classifiers, namely the Decision Tree (DT), Gaussian Naïve Bayes (GNB), Support Vector Machine (SVM) and K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), were tested to measure the accuracy of ADL classification. Optimization analysis was made, providing the most suitable home sensor network configuration for two home environment case studies by exploiting the DT classifier results, as it proved to achieve the highest mean accuracy (over 94%) in measuring ADLs
e-VITA Use Cases Configurator: A Tool to Identify the Optimal Configuration of the Sensor Network and Coaching Devices to Enable Older People to Age Well at Home
Full text linkThis paper describes the development and functionalities of the Use Cases Configurator, a tool developed within the e-VITA project to identify the optimal configuration of the sensor network and coaching devices based on older users' needs and requirements, considering the indoor environmental setting and the minimization of costs without losing measurement accuracy. The software is designed to be used by the technology platform installers and caregivers to enable older people to age well in their homes or care organizations by providing them with a personalized service tailored to their needs, preferences and culture
Methodological Approach for Optimizing Demand Response in Building Energy Management through AI-Enhanced Comfort-Based Flexibility Models
No full textThis paper presents a comprehensive methodology aimed at optimizing Demand Response (DR) within building energy management systems. The focus is on integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enhanced comfort-based flexibility models to dynamically align energy consumption patterns with individual comfort preferences. By analyzing historical data and real-time inputs, AI algorithms forecast energy and comfort needs and optimize critical building systems. The investigation encompasses diverse geographical pilots within the DEDALUS initiative, highlighting unique applications and outcomes. This proactive DR enhances market participation, providing demand-side flexibility within occupant comfort limits, contributing to a sustainable built environment
Development of a measurement setup to detect the level of physical activity and social distancing of ageing people in a social garden during COVID-19 pandemic
No full textThis study defines a methodology to measure physical activity (PA) in ageing people working in a social garden while maintaining social distancing (SD) during COVID-19 pandemic. A real-time location system (RTLS) with embedded inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors is used for measuring PA and SD. The position of each person is tracked to assess their SD, finding that the RTLS/IMU can measure the time in which interpersonal distance is not kept with a maximum uncertainty of 1.54 min, which compared to the 15-min. limit suggested to reduce risk of transmission at less than 1.5 m, proves the feasibility of the measurement. The data collected by the accelerometers of the IMU sensors are filtered using discrete wavelet transform and used to measure the PA in ageing people with an uncertainty-based thresholding method. PA and SD time measurements were demonstrated exploiting the experimental test in a pilot case with real users
Implementing Data-Driven Environmental Dialogues to Enhance Well-Being of Aging People at Home With the e-VITA Virtual Coaching System
No full textThis paper explores advancements in improving the well-being of aging people at home by integrating data-driven environmental dialogues. Building upon a preliminary study focused on human-coach conversations, our research investigates the implementation of these advancements in the e-VITA virtual coaching system. Core enhancements include utilizing smart environmental sensing as dialogue triggers and crafting dialogue scenarios tailored to the user's context. The focus on heat stroke prevention, utilizing the Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) index, highlights the system's proactive approach to dynamically changing environmental conditions. Through this methodology, we aim to address the specific needs of the aging population by fostering a more personalized and adaptive interaction, emphasizing solutions for independence and safety
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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