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Homes are getting “smart”

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GENEVA What if your home could tell you when to take medicine, or when your body needed more exercise, or if it could call for help if you became ill? Or even find your reading glasses? Such so-called smart homes are approaching reality as Switzerland and other European countries increase their focus on researching new technologies for aging populations.

Population demographics in Europe are changing. The next few decades will be characterized by an older population living longer, more independent lives. The Swiss Federal Office for Statistics reports that at the end of 2012, 52.9% of the population was already over the age of 40. European data show that a quarter of Europe will be over 65 by 2035.

Smart HouseInstitutions and corporations are looking for ways to meet the needs of people who wish to continue living independently in their homes with the assistance of information and communication technology. The aim is to allow inhabitants to enjoy a higher quality of life with minimum intrusion, but to be able to receive assistance when needed. Lucerne University of Applied Science and Arts has developed the iHomeLab, which focuses on building intelligence. Andreas Rumsch, senior research and development engineer at the iHomeLab, says they are developing new technology for what they call called Ambient Assisted Living (AAL), or technology to assist people with personal security.

One type of smart home is specifically designed for personal security. It has sensors in all rooms of the home, which would recognize normal movement patterns. When those patterns became abnormal, such as a cared-for resident not going into the kitchen to make breakfast at the usual time, or if they went too frequently to the toilet, or not at all, the sensors would send an alert signal. If the resident does not acknowledge the signal, it would be forwarded to a remote receptor informing family or outside caregivers that something is awry. Rumsch maintains this could be as discreet as a lamp whose light bulb changes colour, or a picture frame displaying a message. The recipient can then get in touch with the resident. If there is indeed a crisis, the recipient can either view the person’s home via a webcam or notify emergency services. If necessary, the smart home can also notify emergency services itself.

Some AAL technology, such as internet alerts when a stove is left on, is already on the market, with companies including Switzerland’s ABB forming alliances on development. Other, more complex technologies, such as sensors built into mattresses to measure heart rate and respiration rate, are still being fine-tuned.

Munich University of Technology last year unveiled its “Wonderwall”, essentially a high-tech wardrobe with a small touch screen. Through biosensors, it can do everything from monitoring the inhabitants’ heart rates and blood pressure, or making recommendations such as taking a walk to reduce blood pressure. It can also locate misplaced glasses and warn residents if they’re about to leave home without taking their keys, proving that a home could soon be smarter than its inhabitants.

Our technology obsession

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Online media: Calling the emperor’s new clothes

Cessy, a French village just across the border, is known for two things. First, it’s where Tim Berners-Lee, creator of the World Wide Web, used to live. CERN normally takes credit for this, but I believe that the British computer scientist, like Archimedes, did his original thinking at home in the bath. Cessy’s second claim to fame is that this is where the Large Hadron Collider is located. So if a Black Hole is created, Cessy will be the first to go.

Given such apocalyptic knowledge, I fully appreciate the web. I check my email and search the internet, but rarely Facebook. Twitter may have 280 million registered users, but many admit, somewhat embarrassed, that they don’t use it, but feel they should. My principal concern – as highlighted by reporter Chris Woodburn – is social media’s impact on young people. Few use Twitter; some still do Facebook, but almost all chat on Skype, send texts, surf YouTube or spend hours obsessively playing electronic games. It has taken over their lives – and our lives!

So why are we allowing this to happen? I want my kids to engage in more enriching activities, which they do on holiday with all electronic items banned. They become normal human beings again. The more I speak with other parents, the more I realize we’re all grappling with the same dilemma. None of us knows what to do. We acknowledge the need for compromise, but also note that our kids are reading less. So, are we dealing with a modern version of the devil incarnate? Have we become so obsessed with new technology ourselves that we’re shirking our responsibilities vis-à-vis our kids’ socialization, emotional development and education? Maybe it is time to call the emperor’s new clothes with regard to how social media should be consumed. How are our readers dealing with this? Let us know. Email us. Or, yes, go on Facebook. And why not, tweet.

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Edward Girardet

S.O.S – ski out safely

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MV Santé issues both barcode and a wearable card within 48 hours for as little as CHF 5.00. Click on the logo below to go to their website:

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Sion
A safer way to ski – Put contact and medical information in a barcode on your ski helmet to be scanned in case of an accident.

The terrible skiing accident that injured Formula One racing driver Michael Schumacher last month has caused a jump in the sale of ski helmets. Now there is a new idea to protect skiers and snowboarders even further. The innovation being tested at the Nendaz (VS) ski resort this winter places a barcode sticker on ski helmets that can be read by smartphone cameras.

The information encoded in a Quick Response (QR) barcode would include all relevant medical data such as allergies, blood type and emergency contact numbers. The information would originally be entered by the helmet’s wearer, and can be read by anyone with an App to read QR codes.

An ambulatory surgery clinic in Sion, MV Santé Artemed, came up with the idea following an increase in ski and snowboard accidents in recent years. The lift operator TéléNendaz expressed interest and in early December persuaded about 100 skiers to start putting barcodes on their helmets. Thankfully, there have been no serious accidents in Nendaz this season but simulated accidents have impressed participants, whether skiers or rescue workers, who agree it is a simple and efficient method to quickly assist someone who may have lost consciousness or be unable to talk.

MV Santé decided to adapt their existing system known as Ma Mémoire Médicale. which gives clients an electronic card containing all their medical information, so the client doesn’t have to rely on personal memory. MV Santé, working in cooperation with hospitals HUG in Geneva and CHUV in Lausanne, stores the information in a central database, but notes on its website that the data cannot be accessed either by an employer or an insurance company.

Nicole Glassey, the head nurse at MV Santé said that virtually anyone with a smartphone can read the barcode, which will only contain information provided by the person ordering it. “The goal is to save lives and not lose time.”

David Kestens of Leukerbad Tourismus agrees that a barcoded helmet could be a good solution, “as long as the barcode can be read by anyone with an existing QR system on a normal smartphone”.

Asked if he had any privacy concerns, veteran Verbier mountain guide Bertrand Martenet said, “this is clearly not a problem, since people decide themselves what information they want to provide”. According to Martenet, more people are now wearing helmets although guides like himself do not do so. “We need to be constantly aware of everything going on around us so that we can protect the people we are guiding,” he said.

According to Kestens, “about 80% of skiers in Leukerbad wear helmets”. He added that although most ski accidents are covered by health-insurance companies through an employer, “some employers forbid dangerous sports”.

MV Santé’s Glassey believes the barcoded helmet could also be useful for children. “Although they are not usually skiing alone, there are cases of children wandering off at a ski school or getting lost. With a barcode affixed to the child’s helmet, a parent can be informed by telephone if there is any type of problem.”

MV Santé promises to respond within 48 hours to anyone who get in contact, and to send them a barcode sticker and a wearable card for as little as CHF 5.

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