Sensor/Actuator Networks in Smart Homes for Supporting Elderly and Handicapped People

Smart Home, this term comprises various approaches, engaged in living and working now and in the future. The objectives of the various approaches range from enhancing comfort in daily life to enabling a more independent life for elderly and handicapped people. The term Ubiquitous Computing, coined by Mark Weiser describes the ubiquity of computer and information technology. The task of Smart Objects, implanted into everyday items, is to sense the immediate environment using various types of sensors, and to process these information. This functionality assigns a kind of artificial intelligence to common, well known objects and enables comprehensive information-processing and interconnection of almost any kind of everyday object. The (preferably) transparent and hidden technology ranges from Wearable Computers and Smart Clothes to "intelligent" artificial replacements. It supports the user in almost every part of his life by extending his cognition and information processing capacity and tries to compensate for certain handicaps. The challenge regarding smart homes, especially for supporting the elderly and handicapped, is to compensate for handicaps and support the individual in order to give them a more independent life for as long as possible. In this paper, a common architecture for smart home environments is developed, mapped to an experimental setup, and finally evaluated.