Handbook of Smart Homes, Health Care and Well-Being (1 ed)

Handbook of Smart Homes, Health Care and Well-Being 1st ed. 2017 Edition

Smart homes, home automation, and ambient-assisted living are terms used to describe technological systems that enrich our living environment and provide means to support care, facilitate well-being, and improve comfort. This handbook provides an overview of the domain from the health care and technology perspective. In Part 1, we set out to describe the demographic changes in society, including aging and diseases and impairments that lead to the need for technological solutions. In Part 2, we describe the technological solutions, ranging from sensor-based networks and components to communication protocols used in smart home design. We also deal with biomedical features that can be measured, services that can be delivered to end-users, and social robots. In Part 3, we present best practices in the field. These best practices mainly focus on existing projects in Europe, the USA, and Asia, in which people receive help through dedicated technological solutions that are part of the continuum of the home environment and care.