Pose Estimation and Movement Detection for Mobility Assessment of Elderly People in an Ambient Assisted Living Application

摘要

In European countries, the increasing number of elderly with dementia causes serious problems for the society, especially with regard to the caring sector. As technical support systems can be of assistance to caregivers and patients, a mobility assessment system for demented people is presented. The grade of mobility is measured by means of the person's pose and movements in a monitored area. For this purpose, pose estimation and movement detection algorithms have been developed. These algorithms process 3-D data, which are provided by an optical stereo sensor installed in a living environment. The experiments demonstrated that the algorithms work robustly. In connection with a human machine interface, the system facilitates a mobilisation as well as a more valid assessment of the patient's medical condition than it is presently the case. Moreover, recent advances with regard to action recognition as well as an outlook about necessary developments are presented.