Smart Homes

 How is technology changing the homes we live in? How can hi-tech homes help old people to live independently?

People taking care of the elderly or the ill at home may get help from the house itself.
1) ______________

The beginning of the 21st century saw a big change in home-living with new technology
changing where we live, from wireless internet to flat TV screens that hang on walls. 
It seems technology could be changing our homes again.
A project started by Johann Siau, Senior Lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire’s School of Engineering and Technology, is adding to the University’s InterHome project –
the goal is to create a home that monitors people living at home who are frail or elderly.

 

2) ______________

‘We’ve developed a wrist-band device,’ says Johann Siau, ‘which lets us monitor an elderly person,
or whoever is wearing the device. It allows us to collect information about the person,
to know if the person has fallen or is away from where they are supposed to be.
It connects an elderly person with an assisted-living device with the InterHome.’
The assisted-living project is part of the University’s larger InterHome project,
which is the development of a smart house. The house stores the usage patterns of the person living there,
and can change to make it as energy efficient as possible. ‘Linking the two together,
and building the service element, allows us to introduce the assisted-living idea to care for the elderly.
It’s very important that these technologies are there to help,
and support rather than to replace any of the existing services.’

 

3) ______________

The InterHome is not just a prototype or a vehicle for research,
it’s a study tool where students from many scientific backgrounds get to learn and develop technology.
The InterHome includes the latest broadband technology, mobile data and communication.
Researchers and students make sure all the technology works together.
‘We’ve used this to teach our undergraduate students, as well as our postgraduate students,
and gives us the flexibility to be able to design our systems because the hardware and software is developed in-house.’
It needs many different skills from students – electronic engineers, system engineers, computer science students,
design students. ‘The current plan we are working on is a smart home project in Watford with some companies,
’ says Johann Siau. ‘We are looking at how a smarter home can provide extra value.’