Context aware inactivity recognition for visual fall detection

This paper introduces a method for automatic fall detection, targeted towards the monitoring of elderly people in a nursing home or in their natural home environment. The method uses information extracted from images obtained using novel 3D camera technology, combined with a context model. Visual information consists of body orientation calculated from posture extraction and of periods of inactivity. The context model allows for a different interpretation of the visual fall detection results, depending on the exact location, time and duration of the detected event. The context model is learnt during the ongoing monitoring task without human intervention and automatically adapts to the changing activity patterns of the monitored subject