The project will measure the accuracy of an infrared people-tracking system. The main long-term objective is to aid health care of the elderly in the home. People-tracking systems in homes of the elderly will help orient the confused, help the elderly find their equipment, help alert emergencies, help monitor wandering, and help caregivers. The project will improve an existing people-tracking system and measure the system's errors under rigorous conditions simulating actual use in health care of the elderly. The project assesses a new technology, as a first step toward developing innovative applications, or toward developing a better people tracking system. The project has potential commercial application not only for health-care of the elderly in the home, but for health-care in hospitals and nursing homes, for home automation, and for office automation. People-tracking systems can also be used in research on falls.
