Designed by a team at the University of Hertfordshire, InterHome requires family members to wear a wristwatch-style device fitted with sensors.
These measure heart rate and body temperature - and can issue an alert if an individual appears to be in any kind of physical distress.
An interactive control system can be accessed via touchscreen, as well as online and via mobile phone.
The house also uses home automation technology to adjust the power consumption of devices in line with their needs.
According to the developers, this could save £300 on energy bills each year, while cutting carbon emissions - facts drawn from the Directgov information service.
The governmental advisory site also suggests fitting a real-time monitor to indicate energy consumption at any given moment and allow devices to be switched off as appropriate.
Posted by Simon Jones
