A Review of Wearable Technologies for Elderly Care that Can Accurately Track Indoor Position, Recognize Physical Activities and Monitor Vital Signs in Real Time
Rapid growth of the aged population has caused an immense increase in the demand for healthcare services. Generally, the elderly are more prone to health problems compared to other age groups. With effective monitoring and alarm systems, the adverse effects of unpredictable events such as sudden ill...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2017-02-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/17/2/341 |
| _version_ | 1828391092011139072 |
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| author | Zhihua Wang Zhaochu Yang Tao Dong |
| author_facet | Zhihua Wang Zhaochu Yang Tao Dong |
| author_sort | Zhihua Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Rapid growth of the aged population has caused an immense increase in the demand for healthcare services. Generally, the elderly are more prone to health problems compared to other age groups. With effective monitoring and alarm systems, the adverse effects of unpredictable events such as sudden illnesses, falls, and so on can be ameliorated to some extent. Recently, advances in wearable and sensor technologies have improved the prospects of these service systems for assisting elderly people. In this article, we review state-of-the-art wearable technologies that can be used for elderly care. These technologies are categorized into three types: indoor positioning, activity recognition and real time vital sign monitoring. Positioning is the process of accurate localization and is particularly important for elderly people so that they can be found in a timely manner. Activity recognition not only helps ensure that sudden events (e.g., falls) will raise alarms but also functions as a feasible way to guide people’s activities so that they avoid dangerous behaviors. Since most elderly people suffer from age-related problems, some vital signs that can be monitored comfortably and continuously via existing techniques are also summarized. Finally, we discussed a series of considerations and future trends with regard to the construction of “smart clothing” system. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T06:57:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-417254ee00b54183a0f7302cb3348b82 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T06:57:29Z |
| publishDate | 2017-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-417254ee00b54183a0f7302cb3348b822022-12-22T01:58:25ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202017-02-0117234110.3390/s17020341s17020341A Review of Wearable Technologies for Elderly Care that Can Accurately Track Indoor Position, Recognize Physical Activities and Monitor Vital Signs in Real TimeZhihua Wang0Zhaochu Yang1Tao Dong2Institute of Applied Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing 400067, ChinaInstitute of Applied Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing 400067, ChinaInstitute for Microsystems (IMS), Faculty of Technology and Maritime Science, University College of Southeast Norway (HSN), Horten 3184, NorwayRapid growth of the aged population has caused an immense increase in the demand for healthcare services. Generally, the elderly are more prone to health problems compared to other age groups. With effective monitoring and alarm systems, the adverse effects of unpredictable events such as sudden illnesses, falls, and so on can be ameliorated to some extent. Recently, advances in wearable and sensor technologies have improved the prospects of these service systems for assisting elderly people. In this article, we review state-of-the-art wearable technologies that can be used for elderly care. These technologies are categorized into three types: indoor positioning, activity recognition and real time vital sign monitoring. Positioning is the process of accurate localization and is particularly important for elderly people so that they can be found in a timely manner. Activity recognition not only helps ensure that sudden events (e.g., falls) will raise alarms but also functions as a feasible way to guide people’s activities so that they avoid dangerous behaviors. Since most elderly people suffer from age-related problems, some vital signs that can be monitored comfortably and continuously via existing techniques are also summarized. Finally, we discussed a series of considerations and future trends with regard to the construction of “smart clothing” system.http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/17/2/341elderly carewearable technologiesindoor positioninghuman activity recognitionvital sign monitoring |
| spellingShingle | Zhihua Wang Zhaochu Yang Tao Dong A Review of Wearable Technologies for Elderly Care that Can Accurately Track Indoor Position, Recognize Physical Activities and Monitor Vital Signs in Real Time Sensors elderly care wearable technologies indoor positioning human activity recognition vital sign monitoring |
| title | A Review of Wearable Technologies for Elderly Care that Can Accurately Track Indoor Position, Recognize Physical Activities and Monitor Vital Signs in Real Time |
| title_full | A Review of Wearable Technologies for Elderly Care that Can Accurately Track Indoor Position, Recognize Physical Activities and Monitor Vital Signs in Real Time |
| title_fullStr | A Review of Wearable Technologies for Elderly Care that Can Accurately Track Indoor Position, Recognize Physical Activities and Monitor Vital Signs in Real Time |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Review of Wearable Technologies for Elderly Care that Can Accurately Track Indoor Position, Recognize Physical Activities and Monitor Vital Signs in Real Time |
| title_short | A Review of Wearable Technologies for Elderly Care that Can Accurately Track Indoor Position, Recognize Physical Activities and Monitor Vital Signs in Real Time |
| title_sort | review of wearable technologies for elderly care that can accurately track indoor position recognize physical activities and monitor vital signs in real time |
| topic | elderly care wearable technologies indoor positioning human activity recognition vital sign monitoring |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/17/2/341 |
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