Range-Doppler radar sensor fusion for fall detection

Abstract

Falls are the major cause of accidents in the elderly population. Propelled by their non-intrusive sensing capabilities and robustness to heat and lighting conditions, radar-based automated fall detection systems have emerged as a candidate technology for reliable fall detection in assisted living. The use of a multiple radar system, in lieu of a single radar unit, for indoor monitoring combats occlusion and supported by the fact that motion articulations in the directions away from the line of sight generate weak Doppler signatures that are difficult to detect and classify. Fusion of the data from two radars is deemed to improve performance and reduce false alarms. Utilizing two 24 GHz ultra-wide band (UWB) radar sensing systems, we present different fusion architectures and sensor selection methods, demonstrating the merits of two-sensor platform for indoor motion monitoring and elderly care applications.