Assistive Technology

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Assistive Technology
Environmental Control Systems
Reinder Bakker
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Program
Introductory

• Introduction Fontys
• The Issue
• Domotics
• Autonomy of the Disabled Elderly
• Project assignments
• Spoken dialogue with home systems

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Why Assistive Technology ?
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The issue (1)
Persons with disabilities

• About 50 million disabled persons in Europe.
• (ca. 6 to 7 of the total population)
• Mobility impaired
• Hearing impaired
• Visually impaired
• Speech and language impaired
• Cognitive impaired (e.g.dyslexia)
• Dexterity impaired
• (reduced function fingers-arms, strength ...)

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The issue (2)
Demography of age

• Life expectancy is increasing all over the world.
  Worldwide from 48 years in 1955 to an expected 73
  years in 2025
• Total fertility rate is declining from 5 in 1955
  to an expected 2.3 in 2025. Larges differences
  Italy 1.2 and Yemen 7.6 in 1995.Domotics
• Consequently the percentage elderly is growning.
• (50 between now and 2025)
• In Europe at this moment 1 of the 5 is over 65
• That means More than 100 million

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The issue (3)
Prejudice ?

• Elderly are patients (80 not).
• Ederly are afraid of technology
• (techno phobia)
• Elderly are no economic factor
• Elderly are too old to function, too old to work
  and maybe too old to play

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The issue (4)
Concrete needs of Bobas (Being old but active)

• Emergency system, facilities for homecare
• Security - and anti-burglary system
• Tele-services (grocery-services, banking )
• Entertainment, cultural, educational services
• Regulation and Control of Power consumption

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Why Environmental Control ? (Smart Homes or
Domotics)
Def. An intelligent (smart) house can be
considered as an comprehensive and intelligent
aid, adaptable to the functional possibilities of
the user and to the desired actions.
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The issue (5)
Domotics

• Domotics can help to continue an independandent
  life of the elderly (control, communicate,
  banking.)
• Handicapped can benefit from Domotics to be more
  autonomous
• Domotics can contribute to a better quality of
  life.
• (self control, entertainment, self esteem)

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Why Design for All ?
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The issue (6)
Advantages Design for All

• To gain Market share
• Elderly
• Disabled
• Comfort seekers
• Less expensive (gtmarket share)
• Not stigmatizing

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Project setting
Intelligent Houses for the handicapped

• An intelligent house for the handicapped and the
  elderly can be considered as an comprehensive and
  intelligent aid, adaptable to the functional
  possibilities of the user and to the desired
  actions.

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Project assignment 1
Intelligent Houses for the elderly handicapped
Devices What devices had to be placed in an
intelligent house ? Target group Project group
1 en 3 Elderly motor handicapped Project group
2 en 4 Elderly visually handicapped
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Domotics
Categories

• Safety
• Signalling
• Communication
• Switching
• Closing/opening
• Personal care
• Housekeeping
• Medical Aids
• Adaptionof building plan
• Services based on telematics

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Domotics
Safety

• burglar alarm
• fire alarm
• gas and smoke detector
• safety alarm in gas stove
• overflow protection
• social alarm
• medical alarm

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Domotics
Signalling/Communication

• video intercom
• computer with programs an peripherals
• speech module
• recognition software
• overflow protection
• So on

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Domotics
Control

• remote control of lightning
• remote control of radio/TV/Video/CD/DVD
• automatic switching ligthtning
• remote control of front door
• remote control of curtains
• other remote controls..

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Domotics
Personal Care/Housekeeping

• adjustable bed
• bathroom lift
• Wash basin with high/low
• adapted toilet
• adjustable kitchen
• adjustable cupboard
• central vacuum cleaner system

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Domotics
Adaptions of the buiding plan

• monotoring devices
• bathroom lift
• washbasin with high/low
• adapted toilet
• adjustable kitchen
• adjustable cupboard
• central vacuum cleaner system
• re re

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Domotics
Intelligent homes gives

• more Comfort
• more Safety
• more Communication fascilities

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Intelligent Houses (1)

• Comfort
• Remote/automatic control of
• household equipment,
• central heating/cooling,
• lighting, etc

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Intelligent Houses (2)
Safety/Alert Alarms or "panic buttons will be
used to signal an emergency to external public
services such as the police, the fire brigade, a
nearby hospital, etc.
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Intelligent Houses (3)

• Communication
• Person-to-person communication or
• Access to various services such as tele-shopping,
  tele-banking, etc,
• Study staying at home
• Monitoring health condition
• Access to various information services, etc.

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Domotics Technology
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Program
Introductory

• Introduction Fontys
• The Issue
• Domotics
• Autonomy of the Disabled Elderly
• Project assignments
• Spoken dialogue with home systems

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What 's domotics

• director
• lightning
• ventilation
• sun-blinds
• entrance-control
• etc....

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Construction of a classical installation

• The switch is part of the power-circuit (230 V).
• The powersupply is via the switch to the
  lightningpoint.
• The switch has only one function.

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Construction of a domotic installation

• The switch or push-button is an input device
  which is in contact with an electonic
  control-module.
• That module sends a message to a contact-unit
  (actuator) which connects or disconnect the lamp
  with the mains.
• The function of the switch or push-button is
  programmable.
• There are two seperated circuits
• a control-line and a powerline.

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The digital control of a domotic-installation

• All control-elements are connected to the same
  wiring.
• Every element has his own specific address .
  The right key to the right lock.
• To get the right control-signal to the right spot
  a protocol is needed.
• Wire and protocol together is called the bus 
  (Binary Unit System)

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Digital control of a domotic-installation

• advantages of digital control
• Control-line is a low voltage-line
• Its easy to add switches and lights
• To change the function of the switch.
• One switch is able to control several circuits.
• Conditions can be added to the control
  activities

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Digitale control at domotic-installations
Sensors and actuators The elements which
generate signals we call sensors. The elements
which are activated by the system we called
actuators. Put in an other way sensors
control and actuators carry out. Sensors
switches, temperatur-meters, infrared-cells,
motion-detectors, wind-detectors,
light-cells,........ Actuators relays/dimmers
for lamps motors for the garagedoor, - rolling
shutters, - curtains sirenes, contactors voor
heating-devices..........
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Domotic-network
In domotic-systems sensors, actuators, supply and
communication are part of a home network. The
network is controlled by the coördination-system.
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Network coordination
Elektronic module PLC, mounted on DIN-rail.
(PHC- De Maegd) Central coördination
Output-modules and supply on DIN-rail.
(Procontrol) Central coördination
Each EIB-module has his own controlunit inside
(distributed control system)
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Domotic-function-diagram of a house

• In the function-diagram the different action are
  exposed.

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Grouping of the actions

• Put on the light in the bedroom, the hall, the
  bathroom and the kitchen.
• Put on the heating in the bathroom.
• Adjust the heating in the living-room to
  comfort-temperature. Switch on the coffee-machine
  and toaster.
• Switch on the radio.
• Etc......

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Grouping of the actions

• Automatic lights on by entrance
• Smoke-sensors on the right places.
• All lights on/off by one button.
• Automatic alarms to police/fire brigade.
• Automatic switch off forgotten devices.

2. Safety-functions
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Grouping of the actions

• Use only energy
• Where it s needed.
• When it s needed.
• And in the right quantity.
• (E.g. Sensor in the bathroom)
• Switch all off.
• SensorControl of the amount of light.

3. Rational use of energy
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Technical characteristics

• Domotic-installations distinct especially on the
  area of
• The signal transport.
• The programmability of the functions.
• The user-interface
• The standard (use of protocols).
• The certainty of excecution and feedback.
• The certainty of communication.
• The integrated components.

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Signal-transport

• The bus is developed to simplify the electric
  wiring.
• All sensors and actuators are connected to the
  bus.
• Every sensor and actuator has his own digital
  address.
• Direct-connect-installations need bus couplers..
• Sometimes manufactures gives bus coupler fixed
  and unique addresses.
• Powerline-modulation some systems modulate the
  control signal on the powerline.
• Wireless connection (infrared or radio) is also a
  quite common use of signal-transport.
• Sometimes combined systems are possible.

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Signal-transport

• To get to the bus a buscoupler is needed.

• Bus coupler
• (Procontrol )

• Bus coupler
• (EIB-bus)

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Signal-transport

• Radio-receiver (Niko)

• Circuit of a combined signal modality

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Programming the functionality.
Niko-systems are programmed by systematicle
pushing micro-switches.
User-friendly software makes the work of the
technician easier. (PHC De Maegd)
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User-interface.
Touch screen (Pluscontrol)
Central controlpanel with 8 buttons, buzzer and
infrared receiver (Teletask)
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User interface

• Touch screen (Siemens)

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Standardisation and normalisation

• Today several domotic-systems are for sale in
  Belgium and the Netherlands.
• For instance
• Domonet
• Teletask
• Pluscontrol
• Niko
• PEHA
• EIB

instabus EIB
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Standardisation and normalisation

• The systems are creative combinations of
  electronics en computertechnology.
• Hardly compatibility between the systems.
• Most systems have closed architectures.
• Most systems are supported by only one
  manufacturer.

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The Project
Smart House DesignSpoken dialogue with home
systems
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Project setting
Intelligent Houses for the handicapped

• An intelligent house for the handicapped can be
  considered as an comprehensive and intelligent
  aid, adaptable to the functional possibilities of
  the user and to the desired actions.
• The communication between the handicapped and the
  intelligent house is in this setting extremely
  important.
• Up to now such communication has been almost
  entirely by means of buttons, keyboards and
  screens.
• Speech, which is by far the most widely used and
  natural means of communication between people, is
  at first sight an obvious substitute.

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Project assignments
Intelligent Houses for the handicapped
Assign.2 Distribution Distribute the devices of
assign.1 over the house in a way that a
comprehensive functional environment is
created. Assign.3 Speech-controlled
User-Interface Develop a set of control- and
feedback-sentences to control the home-system in
the specified setting.
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Program Environmental control Systems
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Solutions for Autonomy of the Disables and
Elderly
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Autonomy of the Disables and Elderly (1)
Intelligent homes gives

• more Safety
• more Autonomy
• more Self-esteem

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Autonomy of the Disables and Elderly (2)
The role of technology

• A friendly approach
• ( to obtain acceptance)
• Reliability
• Low cost
• Autonomy

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Autonomy of the Disables and Elderly (3)
User interface

• Keyboard, mouse, touch screen ( menu-driven )
• Buttons, radio or infra-red buttons, adapted
  buttons
• Voice-based (recognition, synthesis)

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Autonomy of the Disables and Elderly (4)
Central Unit (computer based)

• TV/Teletext, Radio, Tape, CD, DVD
• Fax -modem, Telephone services (alarm, help,
  telephone-directory)
• Local applicatons Agenda, Word processing,
  Spreadsheets, home accounting, games
• Telecom applications Telebanking, Internet

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Autonomy of the Disables and Elderly (5)
Environmental interface (Home bus)

• White goods (washing machines, ovens )
• Brown goods (conventional TVs, air-conditioners,
  hifis)
• Other appliances (lights, intercoms,
  door/window-openers, sunroofs, ventilators,
  Central
• Telecom applications Telebanking, Internet

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Smart House DesignSpoken dialogue with home
systems
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Speech technologies

• Speech processing speech -gt speech
• speech coding for bit rate reduction e.g. (LPC)
• speech manipulation (pitch, duration)
• Speech synthesis text -gt speech
• Automatic speech recognition speech -gt text

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Typical applications (1)

• Voice command
• robots
• home systems
• voice dialling
• small vocabulary ( 10 ... 100 words)
• isolated words
• - speaker independent
• - robustness to noise
• - real time

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Typical applications (2)

• Voice access to information services
• understanding
• - medium vocabulary ( 1000 words )
• - continuous ( full sentences )
• - speaker independent (speaker adaptive)
• - real time

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Typical applications (3)

• Dictation
• - large vocabulary ( gt 10.000 )
• - continuous
• - recognition only
• - speaker independent ( adaptive )
• - off line

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Typical applications (4)

• Security
• home banking
• access control
• - speaker identification / verification
• - robustness lt-gt security