A utility model for tailoring sensor networks to users

Abstract

The proportion of people aged over 65 has significantly increased in recent times, with further increases expected. Multiple sensor-based monitoring solutions have been proposed to tackle the main concerns of elderly people and their carers, viz fall detection and safe movement in the house. At the same time, user studies have shown that cost is the most important factor when deciding whether to install a monitoring system. In this paper, we offer a utility-based approach for selecting a sensor configuration for a user on the basis of his/her behaviour patterns and preferences regarding false alerts and delay in the detection of mishaps, while taking into account his/her budget. Our evaluation on two real-life datasets shows that our utility function supports the selection of cost-effective sensor configurations.