Design and Evaluation of a Wireless Body Sensor System for Smart Home Health Monitoring

Advances in wireless sensor networks and embedded devices make it possible to develop new solutions for smart home health care at a low cost. This paper describes a wireless body sensor system that monitors physiological vital signs of a person while staying at home. Specifically, a waist-mounted triaxial accelerometer unit is used to record human movements. Sampled data are transmitted using an IEEE 802.15.4 wireless transceiver to a data logger unit. The acceleration measurement tests show that it is possible to classify different human motion through the acceleration reading. When IEEE 802.15.4 devices are used at home, there is interference from nearby IEEE 802.11 signals and microwave ovens. The data delivery performance, however, is found to be satisfactory and can be improved by selecting an appropriate channel. On the other hand, the wireless signal can be attenuated by housing materials, home appliances, and even plants. Therefore, the deployment of wireless body sensor systems at home needs to take these factors into consideration.