Internet of Things (IoT) for Independent Living for Elderly
Many products and electronic devices are increasingly becoming interconnected through
digital communications networks. The massive growth of low-cost internet based
technologies, wireless technologies, computer processing power, embedded displays ,
remote sensors and robotics, are contributing to this accelerating trend. This field of
interconnected devices that communicate in a network is often described as the Internet of
Things (IoT).
This project builds the design of a system of interconnected devices that perform useful
purposes for Independent living for the elderly through:
digital communications networks. The massive growth of low-cost internet based
technologies, wireless technologies, computer processing power, embedded displays ,
remote sensors and robotics, are contributing to this accelerating trend. This field of
interconnected devices that communicate in a network is often described as the Internet of
Things (IoT).
This project builds the design of a system of interconnected devices that perform useful
purposes for Independent living for the elderly through:
1. Product - Provide the correct features to help the elderly overcome hindrances in life.
2. User Experience - Be easy enough to assist the elder in most of the task.
3. Connectivity - Able to connect to the world and monitor the elder from every task and assist without any technological hindrances.
Final Concept Poster 1: Introduction
User Experience Process
Before designing the User Interface, various steps are preformed in order to understand how the user would react to the screen. The product interactive interface should consist of 3 main elements or topics that would assist them and give value to their activities within their daily work.
Due to the target group of users being related elderly living, there is a need to fulfill Safety, Security, Service.
UX Process Poster before planning UI
User Interface
Armed with the user experience process into the interface, the understanding of what colour, what shape, or even what logo to use must be decided effectively. That is where the ergonomic understanding of a elderly person takes place.
The first poster explains about the situation of how an emergency would look like on the interactive screen and how would it inform the elderly. It also aims to show what is the process the artificial intelligent would take to complete each task.
The remaining 3 posters details on how the interactive screen's line of process for each element. This shows the amount of thought process placed into the design and the elderly interacting it.
Design concept on the UI system: Emergency Situation UI boards.
Design concept on the UI system: Safety section. (Changes to contacting in Detection of fire and gas)
Design concept on the UI system: Security section. (Changing the Break -in section)
Design concept on the UI system: Service section. (To-Do List)
sSs System
The system abbreviation directly equate to the 3 features of (S)afety, (S)ecurity and (S)ervice.
To fulfill this 3 features, the design plans to rely on a set of product(s) around the house or environment that is connected to the internet. The main features of the product assist the elderly through resolving Internal Hazard(s), External Hazard(s) and Assisted Task(s).
To have a comprehensive coverage on all the daily task within the elderly person, there is a need to implement 3 different product that would be placed in different areas but yet connects into the same ecosystem.
Coverage and Usage
The main aim is to create awareness to the elderly and feed necessary information. But at the same time, the product does not overpower the user.
There are 3 core product to increase the connectivity:- 01 Control System, 02 Standalone Device, 03 Wearable Mobile Device.
01. All the information would be registered on the Control System via internet. Control system would be connected to the Security System, the Fire Detention System at home. The Control System can also gather information and weather details online. Thus the location of installation for the Control System would be at hallway or living room.
02. A large part of the time when a elderly is at home would be at the bedroom. Thus the usage of Standalone device comes into play. Acting as both a clock and also a table lamp, it has the ability to be versatile and resilient for the usage beside a bed or anywhere in the house.
03. In the event the user is not in the house, the wearable would also have the same notifications to let the user know of the situation back home or even to act as a reader for their daily to-do list thus it is viable for it to be worn.
Outlook of the products: Locations
Situation Flowchart
The products work together to form a connected ecosystem that would cover the elderly lifestyle in all factors.
The Control System is connected to the fire alarm in the house, heartbeat device on the elderly body, electrical controllers within the house, CCTV around the house, weather and news from the internet.
In the event that the fire alarm is activated, due to a fire alarm, the information would be sent straight to the control system, control system would transfer data to all the other device instantaneously and the control system also informs the fire department to dispatch trucks to the location.
Control system would send data through the cellular network and forward the data through LTE/GPS modes if the device isnt within the wifi range.
Flowchart of various situations
Mock-Up
