As the expansive Boomer generation starts shifting into new homes, downsizing or moving to retirement areas, housing design needs to consider their needs from a health and comfort perspective. Many technologies are being developed to do just that, including this new 3D imaging sensor that will help track activity in a new way.
An aging population has increased demand for smart devices that can allow seniors to live safely and independently in their homes.
Many personal emergency response systems rely on a “panic button” device on a necklace or wristband, or installed on a smartphone, that the wearer can press if there is an accident. But those systems break down if the wearer is unconscious, in shock, is too injured to press the button or simply forgets to wear the device.
Vayyar Imaging believes it has a solution in its Walabot Home, a smart home sensor that doesn’t rely on a panic button. The Walabot is a 3D imaging sensor that uses low-power radio waves to detect motion through obstacles like walls in real time. It tracks the location, movement, posture and vital signs of people in the home—and is so sensitive that it can even monitor breathing during sleep. It keeps track of daily activity patterns, identifying when those patterns change or deteriorate—such as when they fall down.
Since it is a 3D imaging technology rather than a camera, it works in all sorts of conditions from complete darkness to smoke to fog. And since it isn’t a camera, it mitigates the privacy concerns that accompany security cameras. Not using a camera also means it can run continuously, night and day.
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