An energy-efficient house which can send alerts if its residents are ill has been developed by researchers at the University of Hertfordshire in the UK. InterHome, which is the first home in the UK which can learn from its residents and take decisive action and text if it is being burgled or the door has been left unlocked, can now also monitor the health of its occupants. The researchers have developed a prototype device which can be strapped to a person’s wrist and is equipped with various sensors which take readings of body temperature and pulse. “We developed it further with elderly people in mind so that the house can send alerts if the person has a fall or a stroke. This opens up a platform for us to add new types of technologies around assisted living,” said Mr. Johann Siau, Senior Lecturer at the University’s School of Engineering and Technology. InterHome, incorporates modular custom design units and draws on standard home automation systems which have been adapted so that the house ‘learns’ and ‘adapts’ to its users’ lifestyles. The prototype of the home, which has been developed in a doll’s house, integrates embedded devices with home automation controllers, so that it provides convenience and security to the home owner and also enables them to reduce energy. InterHome incorporates an intuitive touchscreen user control panel that also allows the house to be monitored and controlled using web browsers, smart phones and any SMS-capable mobile phone. Through this approach, InterHome can eradicate wasted energy within UK homes and make a difference to CO2 emission statistics when installed in enough houses.
Zero