News
Fuzzy logic could aid monitoring and decision support in care for
the elderly
18 December 2007
A joint research team from De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) and
the University of Missouri in the US will look at how fuzzy logic, where
computing is used to replicate the human decision-making process, can be
used in technology designed to assist the elderly.
Experts from DMU's Centre for Computational Intelligence (CCI) are
taking part in the six-month project with researchers from the
University of Missouri's Center for Eldercare and Rehabilitation
Technology (CERT).
The £45,000 project will build on research currently being carried
out at CERT, including a study monitoring older adults using sensors.
Networks ranging from simple motion sensors to bed sensors which capture
sleep restlessness and pulse and respiration levels have been installed
in several apartments at an assisted living facility in Missouri.
The technology can be used for many health and social care purposes,
including detecting when medical emergencies, such as serious falls,
have happened and helping to diagnosis the early signs of serious health
problems.
The joint project will look at how fuzzy logic can improve the
effectiveness and reliability of the existing monitoring equipment and
new technology which could be used in the future.
DMU's Dr Simon Coupland will spend four months with the CERT team in
Missouri to undertake the research. Dr Coupland said: "There are many
factors that can cause problems for assistive technologies in nursing
and social care, from the noise of sensors on some equipment, to
variations in how well technology performs in different environments,
and of course, the uncertainty involved with human behaviour. This
project will look at how computational intelligence, and in particular
fuzzy logic, can be used to address these kinds of problems."
He added: "One example of how this technology might be used is in
sensors that detect the sound of somebody falling over. Fuzzy logic
could be used to distinguish between the sound of a person falling to
the floor and other noises, such as a door being slammed.
"Any sounds suspected to be that of a fall would trigger an alarm
summoning medical assistance. In this way, the technology would help to
ensure that genuine emergencies are never ignored while reducing the
number of false alarms."
Fuzzy logic is a branch of mathematics which can be used to help
computers reach a conclusion based on vague information. It mimics the
human approach to problem solving but arrives at a decision much more
quickly than people do, and solves problems that cannot be addressed
using conventional mathematics.
Professor Robert John, Director of the CCI, is also taking part in
the project. He is a leading expert in the field of fuzzy logic with an
extensive background in research in the area.
Professor John said: "The developed world is expected to have an
elderly population of roughly two billion people by 2050 which will have
a huge impact on healthcare resources.
"As a result of this we are likely to see technology playing a very
significant part in supporting and monitoring people in their homes or
in assisted living facilities, allowing individuals to lead more active
lifestyles with a reduced dependence on social care. We think that fuzzy
logic will play an important role in ensuring this technology is as
effective as possible."
Professor James Keller is the main researcher on the project from the
University of Missouri and CERT. He holds the University of Missouri's
Curators' Professorship in the Electrical and Computer Engineering and
Computer Science Departments, is the university's RL Tatum Professor in
the College of Engineering and is also a Principal Investigator at CERT.
Professor John added: "We are very excited to be working on this
project with Professor Keller, who is a world-renowned expert in the
field of fuzzy logic. We hope this research will lead to future
collaborations with the Center for Eldercare and Rehabilitation
Technology and the University of Missouri."
The funding has been provided by the UK Engineering and Physical
Sciences Research Council.More information about the project is
available by visiting:
www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/~simonc/eldertech/
In October, CCI academic Eric Goodyer won first prize in the UK
Satellite Navigation 2007 Challenge with his proposal for the next
generation of telecare technology. His winning idea aims to help older
and vulnerable people live more active lives. Eric also came second in
the European stage of the competition, the European Satellite Navigation
Competition 2007. See bjhc&im news: Idea for hi-tech care in the
community wins first prize in UK Satellite Navigation Challenge.
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