Fall Detection Systems for Elderly Care: A Survey

With the introduction of new technology in our daily life, it is essential that this technology is used for the aid of the elderly. Falls cause a very high risk to the elderly´s life. Accordingly, this paper´s focus is on technology that would aid the elderly. These technologies include: Wearable- based, audio- based, and video-based fall detection systems. This paper surveys the literature regarding fall detection algorithms using those three branches and the various sensors they employ. Looking at wearable technology, the technology is cheap and accurate but inconvenient. Audio-based technology on the other hand is more convenient and is cheaper than video-based technology. However audio-based technology is hard to set up compared to video and wearable-based technologies. Video- based technology is accurate and easy to set up. At the moment, video-based technology is the most expensive compared to the other two, and it is also prone to occlusion. However as homes become smarter and prices for cameras continue to drop, it is expected that this technology will be the best of the three due to its versatility.