Movement

Motion tracking using EPS

The ability to track the position of a person within a defined space is of use to both the security and health sectors, where the requirements of lone occupancy monitoring are very similar. Examples of at risk individuals to whom this may apply are either those in detention or the elderly or infirm living alone. EP sensors produce almost identical information to video based systems, but do not require illumination, are much lower power and produce very small data sets. This last point is of considerable importance if large numbers of individuals require monitoring, since it minimises the computing power needed.

Biometrics

The remote detection of life signs such as breathing and cardiac function is achievable with EP sensors at distances up to 50 cm. This has implications for possible future biometric identification procedures and also to systems for evaluating physical stress by investigating the relationship between heart rate variability and breathing rate. Additionally sensors could be retrofitted to beds/chairs for monitoring the wellbeing of vulnerable individuals in their own home.

Our research aim is to take advantage of these inherent properties to produce a battery operated unattended wireless sensor node which is suitable for these applications. 

Human cardiac signal detected at 10 cm stand-off distance

For further information regarding this research, please contact Dr Helen Prance.