Competitors

Abstract

AIT Austrian Institute of Technology has developed a modular software platform named HOMER providing services to enable independent living for elder people at home. The platform is based on state-of-the-art software development techniques as OSGi and SpringDM, and addresses the interoperability aspect by interfacing several sensor networks and harmonizing incoming sensor data according to appropriate ISO standards. The system claims to be close to the market by using off the shelf sensor hardware from globally present vendors of home automation products. Privacy of the resident is respected by using commonly accepted sensors and completely avoiding more intrusive ones like video cameras, microphones or wearable devices. Based on sensor data, functionalities for the detection of specific events and situations in the home have been implemented using finite state machines and simple statistical methods.

Abstract

There is a large diversity of alternatives to be dealt with in the design and construction of positioning systems, each of them with different advantages and disadvantages. We present a design proposal which aims to provide reusable and adaptable support to Location-based Systems, by providing a positioning service composed of interoperable components. Hence, the interest of the proposal concerns the combination between different methods, algorithms and technologies at run-time to take advantage of the benefits of each one of them. For instance, the proposal enables AAL solutions to address indoor and outdoor positioning by the same service, switching dynamically and automatically between methods and technologies, and simultaneously combining two different methods to improve accuracy.

Affiliation
Lucerne University of Applied Sciences 

iHomeLab and Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences

Abstract

iLoc is an ultrasound ranging based indoor localisation system which is deployed at the iHomeLab laboratory. For example, the system can be used for visitor tracking: Visitors get an electronic name badge comprising an ultrasound transmitter. This badge can be localized with an average accuracy of less than 10 cm deviation in its spatial position, by means of reference nodes distributed in the lab rooms. Depending on the position update rate, a small battery may suffice for several month of tag/badge operation. Other advantages when compared to existing ultrasound ranging systems (like CRICKET, CALMARI, BAT) are for example the simple deployment with its 2 wire ”IPoK” bus system.

Abstract

Context-aware technologies allow Ambient Assisted Living developments to automatically obtain information from users and their environment in a distributed and ubiquitous way. One of the most important technologies used to provide context- awareness is Wireless Sensor Networks. Wireless Sensor Networks comprise an ideal technology to develop Real-Time Locating Systems (RTLS) aimed at indoor environments, where existing global navigation satellite systems do not work correctly. In this regard, Nebusens and the BISITE Research Group of the University of Salamanca have developed n-Core® Polaris, a new indoor and outdoor RTLS based on ZigBee WSNs and an innovative set of locating and automation engines. n-Core® Polaris is based on the n-Core® platform, a hardware and software platform intended for developing and deploying easily and quickly a wide variety of WSN applications based on the ZigBee standard. n-Core® Polaris exploits the unlimited potential of the n-Core® platform, taking advantage of the advanced set of features of the n-Core® Sirius devices and the n-Core® Application Programming Interface. The main features of n- Core® Polaris include extremely easy set-up and deployment; intuitive mobile and desktop interfaces; simple definition of restricted areas according to the users’ permissions; and full integration with a wide range of sensors and actuators.