Analysis of a fall detection radar placed on the ceiling and wall

Fall incidents are considered one of the most dangerous hazards for elderly people. In this regard, radar techniques can be used to develop a long-term fall detector system in home environment. The key relies on measuring and assessing the different changes in speed experienced during a fall and a normal movement. In this paper, the accuracy of a fall detector based on Doppler radar is analyzed comparing speed measurements produced by human subjects during fall incidents, with the radar fixed to the wall and to the ceiling, respectively. Experimental results demonstrate a higher success rate in detecting fall events when performing measurements with the radar fixed to the ceiling.