Human Fall Detection Using Three-Axis

Accelerometer and ZigBee Technology

by

Kimberli Anne M. Aquino

John Lester S. Magno
Gizelle Ann C. Tuason

A Thesis Report Submitted to the School of Electrical Engineering,

Electronics Engineering, and Computer Engineering in Partial Fulfilment of
the Requirements for the Degree

Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering

Mapúa Institute of Technology

September 2012

i
ii
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE i

APPROVAL PAGE ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS iii

LIST OF TABLES v

LIST OF FIGURES vi

ABSTRACT vii

Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION 1

Chapter 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE 4

Accidental Fall Incidents 4

Fall Detection Approaches and Applications 6

Accelerometers 8

Threshold-based tri-axial accelerometer 9

MEMS accelerometer technology 12

Chapter 3: HUMAN FALL DETECTING USING THREE-AXIS ACCELEROMETER

AND ZIGBEE TECHNOLOGY 14

Abstract 14

Introduction 14

Methodology 17

Testing 23

Detection of Fall Testing 23

Response Time Depending on Type of Fall 24

iii
 Response Time Depending on Distance 24

Treatment of Data 25

Results and Discussion 26

Conclusion 31

Recommendation 33

References 34

Chapter 4: CONCLUSION 36

Chapter 5: RECOMMENDATION 38

REFERENCES 39

APPENDICES 41

Appendix A – Datasheet of PIC18F1220 42

Appendix B – Datasheet of Zigbee Module 50

Appendix C – Datasheet of Accelerometer 60

Appendix D – Datasheet of LCD Display 65

Appendix E – PCB Design 67

Appendix F – Schematic Diagram 68

iv
 LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1.1: Detection of Fall Test for Fall Activities

Table 3.1.2: Detection of Fall Test for Non-fall Activities

Table 3.2: Fall detection with respect to time

Table 3.3: Fall detection with respect to distance

Table 3.4: Summary of Gathered Data

v
 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure No. 2.1: Human fall detection block diagram

Figure No. 2.2(a): Torso and thigh resultant signals

Figure No. 2.2(b): Typical fall and normal activity signals

Figure No. 2.3(a): Accelerometer responses to different types of motion

Figure No. 2.3(b): Acceleration change during an accidental fall

Figure No. 3.1: Process block diagram

Figure No. 3.2(a): Collecting signals for the fall detection algorithm

Figure No. 3.2(b): Normal day activities signals

Figure No. 3.3: Fall detection algorithm

Figure No. 3.4: Fall detection with false alarm module

Figure No. 3.5: System flowchart

vi
 ABSTRACT

Fall detection devices can be helpful to patients with reduced mobility who are prone to
falling, by informing guardians in order to prevent major injuries and other relevant
effects. However, the existing fall detection devices are not widely used because the
expectations are not met like the effectiveness of detecting a fall, time to inform
guardian to provide necessary precautions, affordability, etc. This paper presented the
research and the development of the existing fall detection device and aimed to give
patients the effectiveness needed. The device was developed using three-axis
accelerometer, microcontroller, and ZigBee transmitter. The components were
incorporated to form a portable clip-on device which can be placed around the torso of
the user to be able to give more effective results since it is the center of gravity of the
body. Zigbee transmitter and receiver were used for the wireless transmission of data.
Different fall and non-fall activities were set and performed by different groups of
persons to determine the ability of the device to detect an actual fall, and at the same
time send an alert to the monitoring system. The effectiveness of the system was
established using the statistical tool of percentage difference. The device achieved 100%
detection of fall activities and 74.17% detection of non-fall activities. Hence, the group
concluded that the device was effective in providing a fall detection and monitoring
system with flexibility to the nature of the user.

Keywords: Three-axis accelerometer, Microcontroller, ZigBee, Fall Detection

vii
 Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

A person with reduced mobility may encounter problems when an accidental fall

happens. Reduced mobility may happen to all ages: elders, teenagers, and man, woman.

Those who suffered a fall, may encounter psychological effects such as: fear, anxiety or

depression, as well as physical effects such as: injury, fractures or sometimes even death.

Economical effects may always entail such: fees for medical examinations, hospital

equipments, wheelchairs, canes, rehabilitation treatments, or caregivers services. As a

remedy, a reliable mobility assistance tool specifically, a fall detection device shall be

developed.

In the past, various solutions were proposed to detect fall of a person. One solution

was to raise an alarm by pressing a button of a wearable device worn by the victim. This

notifies the hospital for possible immediate medical assistance. The problem is; victim is not

always capable of sounding the alarm, as some of them become unconscious after the fall.

Another solution is the video and audio monitoring device where camera, speaker,

and microphone are setup in a room to observe the patient. But, these solutions are limited to

fixed area and fixed equipment. In addition, privacy is also infringed thus observers or

hospital personnel cannot monitor the patient all day.

In recent research, the fall detection device was integrated with a wrist watch where

accelerometer sensors are used. The concept is to calibrate first the accelerometer sensors by

slowly rotating the device in order to project the gravity vector on the three axes in various

configurations. The resulting acceleration signals roughly define the surface of a sphere in a

1
three dimensional space and having a reference acceleration on the three axes. Then, the

device is worn on the patient‟s wrist for observation. If a fall happens, a sudden change in

acceleration could be seen on the three axes thus giving a signal through Bluetooth that an

accident happened.

In some events, like falling from a chair, the acceleration does not change since there

is no drastic movement of the arms. Given these situations, the setback of the recent device,

since it is placed on the wrist, is that it only effective for detecting falls from a much higher

space (i.e. 3-4 feet higher), because the whole body must experience the fall for the

accelerometer to detect sudden change in acceleration. Also, the arms are prone to

unnecessary movements, such as swaying which may give an error data.

The objective of this study was to develop a portable and effective device that detects

fatal fall. Specifically, it intended to integrate three-axis accelerometer, microcontroller, and

Zigbee transmitter and receiver into one device as a system for human fall detection; and

used as an alternative fall detection algorithm for monitoring patients who require attention.

The continuous development and innovation of fall detection system can be of great

help to persons with reduced mobility or no mobility at all. This device was designed to

inform guardians and hospital personnel about a fall accident or not. It may also help

prevent/remove physical after-effects (such as injury, fractures, etc.), psychological after

effects (such as fear, anxiety or depression), and economical after effects (unwanted and high

cost medical fees). In addition, schools and universities can use this study as reference on

how to use three-axis accelerometer sensors as well as get familiar with the importance of

ZigBee Technology and its advantages over Bluetooth Technology.

2
 This device was designed to give accurate information to the guardians and/or

hospital personnel about the patients‟ condition; if it was a fall or a false fall. Thus, it quickly

alarms guardian and/or hospital personnel to act in the situation such as assist or medical

precautions and procedures if a fall happens. The device can also transmit two signals, a fall

and a false fall, via ZigBee transmitter. A fall is detected when there is a sudden change in

the three-axis acceleration. On the other hand, a false fall is detected when the patient

triggers the false fall button. But the device cannot locate where the patient is if a fall

happens. Also, the durability of the device depends on the impact.

3
 Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Accidental Fall Incidents

A fall is defined as unintentionally coming to the ground or some lower level and

other than as a consequence of sustaining a violent blow, loss of consciousness, sudden onset

of paralysis as in stroke or an epileptic seizure (Gibson et al., 1987). For those who are at

home, almost half of the falls take place near or inside the house (Campbell et al., 1990;

Lipsitz et al., 1991). According to Hammadi Nait-Charif and Stephen McKenna in their study

“Activity Summarisation and Fall Detection in a Supportive Home Environment” (2004),

home environments able to monitor automatically the activities of their occupants can help

extend independent, quality living, and reduce healthcare costs. Majority of people who

experience accidental falls are children, the elderly, and persons with disability, due to the

reduction in their mobility.

Ge Wu and Shuwan Xue in this article “Portable Preimpact Fall Detector With

Inertial Sensors” (2008) mention that hip fractures are the most common fall-related

problem. Wu et al. (2008) also cites that falls may occur in many ways such as backward

falls, forward falls, sideway falls, and straight-down falls (Smeesters et al., 2001). The

author of the publication “Reduce Accidental Falls in Your Home”, Claudia C. Collins, states

that between 30-60% of adults over age 65 fall each year. And of the more than 200,000

elders who experience hip fractures each year, nearly one third result in death, less than a half

return to full function, and 30% of survivors require long-term care (Collins). Moreover, in a

study entitled “A Study on Detection of Risk Factors of a Toddler‟s Fall Injuries Using

4
Visual Dynamic Motion Cues” (2009), the author Hana Na avowes that young children are

not able to assess risks for themselves. They also have poor coordination and balance and

need to touch and explore to learn about the world around them. These factors all mean that

children are particularly vulnerable to accidents (Na, 2009). Although the other consequences

of accidental falls may be minimal such as scratches and bruises, it is still a high risk for

people who stay in a room alone or those who has mobility incapability.

In a survey conducted by Abbate, Avvenuti, Corsini, Vecchio, and Light, entitled

“Monitoring of human movements for fall detection and activities recognition in elderly care

using wireless sensor network”, they have stated that accidental falls among elderly people

are the main cause of admission and extended period of stay in a hospital. Statistics revealed

that it is the sixth cause of death for people over the age of 65, the second for people between

65 and 75, and the first for people over 75 (Bradley et al., 2009). The survey also showed that

among people affected by Alzheimer‟s disease, the possibility of a fall is increased by a

factor of three.

Na states in her study that on average, over two million children per year in the

United Kingdom are taken to hospital after having an accident, and approximately two

hundred children per day are hospitalized and one child dies as a result of unintentional

injuries in Australia. Most of the fall incidents take place at home where children below five

years old are the most vulnerable to injuries because this is where they spend most of their

time. Falls account for over 40 per cent of all home accidental injuries of children (Na,

2009).

5
Fall Detection Approaches and Applications

Due to the incidents that have raised the threat for people‟s safety, certain techniques

and technologies have been developed to improve the monitoring of the patients‟ activities.

Tong Zhang, Jue Wang, Liang Xu, and Ping Liu mentioned in their study entitled “Fall

Detection by Wearable Sensors and One-Class SVM Algorithm” (2006), that the early

detection of a fall is very important to rescue the subjects and avoid the badly prognosis. This

makes the development of this type technology to be important to assistance and protection

of people experiencing difficulty in balance.

In the study conducted by Abbate et al., they cited related surveys of research on

patient monitoring technologies. In their citation, Noury et al. (2007) described a system,

algorithm, and sensors used for fall detection of elderly people. They discovered the lack of

common framework and proposed some performance evaluation parameters in order to

compare different systems (Abbate et al.). In similarity study, Yu (2008), focused on a

classification of the approaches and principles of existing fall detection methods. He

provided a classification of falls and a general framework of fall detection, alert device and

system scheme.

In the research work “Fall Detection and Activity Recognition with Machine

Learning” written by Lustrek et al. (2009), four types of approaches were enumerated to

detect fall – (a.) The first approach is the use of accelerometers, typically three-axis

accelerometers, which is a device for detecting magnitude and direction of acceleration

caused by the pull of gravity along a single axis; (b.) the second approach uses gyroscopes,

where the object is equipped with gyroscopes along three axes and it detects the object‟s

orientation and change in orientation, from which the angular velocity is computed; (c.) the

6
third is denoted visual detection without posture reconstruction which is based on extracting

input data from still images or video; and (d.) the last is visual detection with posture

reconstruction which is based on 3D locations of markers placed on an object or the human

body.

The latest technology today includes handheld devices or wearable devices which

send signals into a certain system or station to indicate that an accidental fall has occurred.

Zhang et al. (2006) described these wearable sensors as a means of embedding micro sensors

into clothes, girdle, etc., to monitor the movement parameters of human body in real-time,

and determine if there was a fall occurred based on the analysis of the parameters. But the

authors said that there exist many problems about this kind of algorithms which include

lacking of adaptability, deficiently in classification precision, etc.

Based on another approach carried out by Qiang Li, John A. Stankovic, Mark

Hanson, Adam Barth, John Lach entitled “Accurate, Fast Fall Detection Using Gyroscopes

and Accelerometer-Derived Posture Information”, their solution using gyroscopes and

accelerometers does not require complex computation and can be implemented on a simple

body-worn device. As quoted, the algorithm only needs to buffer 6 seconds of data, which

makes it possible for their solution to respond quickly.

As mentioned in one of the approaches, this study focused on the use of three-axis

accelerometers to detect fall detection. This device was embedded with a ZigBee wireless

transmitter to forward data to a remote system which manages the monitoring of the patient.

Since the different kinds of fall, as mentioned earlier in this chapter, have their own distinct

characteristics, the flexibility of the detecting device must be considered in order to develop a

fully efficient and effective system. To solve the dilemma of adaptability, the researchers

7
proposed a clipped-style sensor to be placed near the belly of the user. Wu et al. (2008) have

hypothesized that a single sensor with the appropriate kinematics measurements and

detection algorithms, located near the body‟s center of gravity, would be able to distinguish

an in-progress and unrecoverable fall from non-falling activities. Thus, the effectiveness of

the signals which is sent to the remote system would be most likely higher, compared to the

detection of a device which is worn on the wrist or used as a pendant. These positions of the

devices are inclined to the detection of sudden change in acceleration due to involuntary or

spontaneous movements such as swaying or other movements which require the use of the

arm, and may trigger the sending of data to the remote system even if it is not an actual fall

that requires attention.

Accelerometers

Dimension Engineering, a manufacturer of electronic and electro-mechanical parts,

has published “A beginner‟s guide to accelerometers” where they described an accelerometer

as a device which measures acceleration forces. They said that by measuring the amount of

static acceleration due to gravity, the angle at which the device is titled with respect to the

earth may be computed. From a product description of Modern Device, they stated that by

sensing the amount of dynamic acceleration, the accelerometer can measure how fast and in

what direction the device is moving. By these two properties of an accelerometer, it may be

used together with other algorithms to detect human fall instances.

In another guide published by Parallax Inc. (2005), it was mentioned that the use of

an accelerometer can be very useful for various applications such as self-balancing robots,

8
tilt-mode game controllers, car alarm systems, crash detection, leveling tool, human

monitoring, and etc.

Figure No. 2.1 Human fall detection block diagram, Source: Reyna et al., 2005

Freescale Semiconductor Inc. has issued a reference manual entitled “Human Fall

Detection Using Three-Axis Accelerometer” in 2005, developed by Rogelio Reyna, Edgard

Palomera, Rogelio Gonzalez, Sergio Garcia de Alba, and Michelle Clifford. The document

contains information about the application of the three-axis low accelerometers

(MMA7260Q), 2.4 GHz RF transceiver data modem for 802.15.4 applications (MC13192),

and the Digital Signal Controllers from Freescale (MC56F8013). Illustrated in Fig. 2.1 is the

block diagram of the hardware module. This can be used as a reference for the

implementation of the device proposed in this thesis.

9
Threshold-based tri-axial accelerometer

The study by Bourke, O‟Brien, and Lyons (2006) entitled “Evaluation of a threshold-

based tri-axial accelerometer fall detection algorithm” described the development and testing

of a threshold-based algorithm which can determine an actual fall event from a usual daily

activity, using tri-axial accelerometers. The accelerometers which were placed on the torso

and thigh would have peak values during a fall, which would be distinct from the signals

produced during the performance of a normal activity (Bourke et al., 2006).

Figure No. 2.2 (a) Torso and thigh resultant signals, Source: Bourke et al., 2006

10
 Figure No. 2.2 (b) Typical fall and normal activity signals, Source: Bourke et al., 2006

According to their study, the resultant signal from both the tri-axial accelerometer

sensors at the torso and the thigh was derived by taking the root-sum-of-squares of the three

signals from each tri-axial accelerometer recording. They defined four threshold values:

upper and lower fall thresholds for both the torso and the thigh. As an algorithm example,

they used artificial sample signals in Fig. 2.2 (a): torso and thigh resultant vector signals; and

in Fig. 2.2 (b): a typical fall (K), a fall that produced the smallest upper peak value (L), a fall

the produced the smallest power peak value (M), a typical sitting on an armchair activity (N),

a getting in and out of a car seat activity (O), and walking (P).

The authors stated that the type of sensor used in their study could be woven into a

tightly fitting garment and the tri-axial accelerometer could be mounted onto a flexible PCB

with a wireless connection to monitoring electronics. As their suggestions for further

11
developments, the device could be incorporated into a portable unit, capable of both fall

detection as well as mobility monitoring upon detection of a fall, an emergency message

could be sent through GSM model in form of SMS.

In this study, the device for the detection of a fall was incorporated in a portable unit,

but is restricted to SMS alert. Instead, the researchers proposed a wireless transmission in a

remote system or unit to alert or notify a fall occurrence.

MEMS accelerometer technology

A field applications engineer of Analog Devices Inc., Ning Jia wrote the article

“Human Fall Detection Using New MEMS Accelerometer Technology” (2009), where he

discussed that the technological advances in micro-electromechanical system (MEMS)

acceleration sensors have made it possible to design fall detectors based on a three-axis

integrated MEMS accelerometer. In his study, the fall detector is mounted to a belt on the

individual‟s body while performing different types of activities. The changes in acceleration

while (a) walking downstairs, (b) walking upstairs, (c) sitting down, and (d) standing up from

a chair are illustrated in Fig. 2.3 (a).

He said that since the movement of elderly people is slow, the acceleration change is

not drastic when they are walking. But the accelerations during a fall change notably. In Fig.

2.3 (b), the acceleration change during an accidental fall is shown. The four critical

differences characteristics of a falling event can be used as criteria for fall detection (Jia,

2009).

12
Figure No. 2.3 (a) Accelerometer responses to different types of motion, Source: Jia, 2009

Figure No. 2.3 (b) Acceleration change during an accidental fall, Source: Jia, 2009

13
 Chapter 3

HUMAN FALL DETECTION USING

THREE-AXIS ACCELEROMETER AND ZIGBEE TECHNOLOGY

Abstract

Fall detection devices can be helpful to patients with reduced mobility who are prone to
falling, by informing guardians in order to prevent major injuries and other relevant
effects. However, the existing fall detection devices are not widely used because the
expectations are not met like the effectiveness of detecting a fall, time to inform
guardian to provide necessary precautions, affordability, etc. This paper presented the
research and the development of the existing fall detection device and aimed to give
patients the effectiveness needed. The device was developed using three-axis
accelerometer, microcontroller, and ZigBee transmitter. The components were
incorporated to form a portable clip-on device which can be placed around the torso of
the user to be able to give more effective results since it is the center of gravity of the
body. Zigbee transmitter and receiver were used for the wireless transmission of data.
Different fall and non-fall activities were set and performed by different groups of
persons to determine the ability of the device to detect an actual fall, and at the same
time send an alert to the monitoring system. The effectiveness of the system was
established using the statistical tool of percentage difference. The device achieved 100%
detection of fall activities and 74.17% detection of non-fall activities. Hence, the group
concluded that the device was effective in providing a fall detection and monitoring
system with flexibility to the nature of the user.

Keywords: Three-axis accelerometer, Microcontroller, ZigBee, Fall Detection

Introduction

A person with reduced mobility may encounter problems when an accidental fall

happens. Reduced mobility may happen to all ages: elders, teenagers, and man, woman.

Those who suffered a fall, may encounter psychological effects such as: fear, anxiety or

depression, as well as physical effects such as: injury, fractures or sometimes even death.

Economical effects may always entail such: fees for medical examinations, hospital

equipments, wheelchairs, canes, rehabilitation treatments, or caregivers services. As a

14
remedy, a reliable mobility assistance tool specifically, a fall detection device shall be

developed.

In the past, various solutions were proposed to detect fall of a person. One solution

was to raise an alarm by pressing a button of a wearable device worn by the victim. This

notifies the hospital for possible immediate medical assistance. The problem is; victim is not

always capable of sounding the alarm, as some of them become unconscious after the fall.

Another solution is the video and audio monitoring device where camera, speaker,

and microphone are setup in a room to observe the patient. But, these solutions are limited to

fixed area and fixed equipment. In addition, privacy is also infringed thus observers or

hospital personnel cannot monitor the patient all day.

In recent research, the fall detection device was integrated with a wrist watch where

accelerometer sensors are used. The concept is to calibrate first the accelerometer sensors by

slowly rotating the device in order to project the gravity vector on the three axes in various

configurations. The resulting acceleration signals roughly define the surface of a sphere in a

three dimensional space and having a reference acceleration on the three axes. Then, the

device is worn on the patient‟s wrist for observation. If a fall happens, a sudden change in

acceleration could be seen on the three axes thus giving a signal through Bluetooth that an

accident happened.

In some events, like falling from a chair, the acceleration does not change since there

is no drastic movement of the arms. Given these situations, the setback of the recent device,

since it is placed on the wrist, is that it only effective for detecting falls from a much higher

space (i.e. 3-4 feet higher), because the whole body must experience the fall for the

15
accelerometer to detect sudden change in acceleration. Also, the arms are prone to

unnecessary movements, such as swaying which may give an error data.

The objective of this study was to develop a portable and effective device that detects

fatal fall. Specifically, it intended to integrate three-axis accelerometer, microcontroller, and

Zigbee transmitter and receiver into one device as a system for human fall detection; and

used as an alternative fall detection algorithm for monitoring patients who require attention.

The continuous development and innovation of fall detection system can be of great

help to persons with reduced mobility or no mobility at all. This device was designed to

inform guardians and hospital personnel about a fall accident or not. It may also help

prevent/remove physical after-effects (such as injury, fractures, etc.), psychological after

effects (such as fear, anxiety or depression), and economical after effects (unwanted and high

cost medical fees). In addition, schools and universities can use this study as reference on

how to use three-axis accelerometer sensors as well as get familiar with the importance of

ZigBee Technology and its advantages over Bluetooth Technology.

This device was deigned to give accurate information to the guardians and/or hospital

personnel about the patients‟ condition; if it was a fall or a false fall. Thus, it quickly alarms

guardian and/or hospital personnel to act in the situation such as assist or medical precautions

and procedures if a fall happens. The device can also transmit two signals, a fall and a false

fall, via ZigBee transmitter. A fall is detected when there is a sudden change in the three-axis

acceleration. On the other hand, a false fall is detected when the patient triggers the false fall

button. But the device cannot locate where the patient is if a fall happens. Also, the durability

of the device depends on the impact.

16
Methodology

The first approach in developing the system proposed in this study was to incorporate

the sensor device into a portable clipped-device. The sensor that was used was a three-axis

accelerometer. Then, an algorithm was developed to detect an actual fall from a normal day

activity using a microcontroller, and may also receive an interrupt whether the sent

information is a false alarm. In the last part, the sensing device sent data into a remote system

to alert that there was an occurrence of a fall. Fig. 3.1 illustrates the process block diagram of

the system.

Three-axis Zigbee Receiver

Accelerometer

Microcontroller Interrupt Microcontroller

ZigBee Alarm system

Transmitter

Figure No. 3.1 Process block diagram

The process began with designing a convenient clip-on casing where the three-axis

accelerometer module was incorporated. The portability of the design allowed the patient to

simply clip-on the device on their torso. The three-axis accelerometer was used to measure

the change in acceleration for each normal activity of the user.

Then, the device was tested and calibrated first to gather signals needed for the design

of the algorithm for fall detection. The process is exemplified in Fig. 3.2 (a). The data that

were collected were stored into a microcontroller, and a corresponding algorithm was applied

17
to determine a normal day activity from an incidental fall. These data included the change in

acceleration while the person was doing normal day activities such as walking, sitting on a

chair, getting up from bed, and etc.

Normal day Three-axis

Microcontroller
activities signals Accelerometer

Figure No. 3.2 (a) Collecting signals for the fall detection algorithm

18
 After the gathering the accelerometer readings for typical daily activities and storing

it into the microcontroller, the algorithm for fall detection was developed, as shown in Fig.

3.3. The process was continuous to make a real-time system that can detect a fall incident at

any given time.

Start

Detect signals from

accelerometer

Drastic No
change in
acceleration ??

Yes

Compare with normal

day activity signals

Unusual No
signals?

Yes
Generate alert

End

Figure No. 3.3 Fall detection algorithm

19
 The signals from the three-axis accelerometer were constantly sent into the

microcontroller. If a drastic change in acceleration was observed, the signals were processed

and compared with the usual daily activity signals. The microcontroller will indicate a fall

incident if the input signals show very distinct characteristics from the normal activity

signals. In the event of a fall, the device will emit a sound alarm to notify the patient wearing

the device that the incident has already been reported to the remote monitoring system. The

transmission is discussed in the later part of this chapter.

To ensure the consistency of the device, a „false alarm‟ module was added to it. There

were instances where the person had almost fell but was able to instantly recover from the

fall, thus a button was triggered in case the incident does not need immediate attention or it is

a false fall. The integration of this module with the system is described in Fig. 3.4.

Start

Detect for a fall

incident

Is there a fall Yes False alarm No

Generate alarm
incident? triggered?

No Yes

Generate false alarm

End
Figure No. 3.4 Fall detection with false alarm module

20
 If a fall had been detected by the device, the system will generate an alarm. The

patient can also send an interrupt signal indicating that it is a false fall or if he/she doesn‟t

need any immediate assistance.

The last part in the development of the system was the wireless transmission of the

fall alarm and interrupts using ZigBee technology. It was embedded together with the three-

axis accelerometer module, and a remote receiving system was used for monitoring the

patient‟s activities. ZigBee was used in this paper because it was designed for wireless

controls and sensors. It allowed wireless one-way communication and traveled across greater

distances and can handled many sensors that can be linked to perform different tasks. ZigBee

is a wireless protocol that allows users to build medium to large networks of sensors and

controllers. It transmits packets from the accelerator and microcontroller to the receiver via

wireless connection.

The receivers were characterized by high stability and reliability of performance, and

were generally adapted for remote control and monitoring. They were used to accept signals

or packets from the accelerator and microcontroller through the ZigBee transmitter and then

translate signals into a usable form for the destination. Fig. 3.6 demonstrates how the whole

system was implemented.

21
 Start

Is there a
No
fall
incident?

Yes
Generate Fall
Alarm

Send Signal to the

Receiver

False
No
Alarm
triggered?

Yes
sss
Generate False
Alarm

Send Signal to the

Receiver

End

Figure No. 3.5 System flowchart

The generated signals from the microcontroller were passed to the ZigBee

transmitter and the data was sent to the receiver via wireless connection. The remote

monitoring system consisted of the receiver and the alarm mechanism. Upon receiving the

data from the transmitter, the receiver translated the signal and the system indicated that there

22
was an occurrence of a fall through LCD display and buzzer. It may also be possible that an

interrupted signal was received from the device if the false fall alarm was triggered. Thus,

two alarm signals was the output of the remote monitoring system.

Testing

The researchers provided three testing procedure to test the efficiency of the device.

The first test was to identify a certain activity if it was a fall or a non-fall; second test was for

the response time of the system or how fast the device could send an alarm to the remote

monitoring system with respect to the type of fall; and the third test was for the response time

of the system depending on the distance of the device from the remote monitoring system.

The fall detection device must be placed or clipped on the torso of the user before

turning it on to calibrate the three-axis accelerometer. Then after turning on the remote

monitoring system, the user can perform his/her usual activities. For the purpose of testing,

the user imitated an occurrence of a fall and the remote monitoring system was observed for

any changes.

The alarm consisted of LCD display and a buzzer. If the system notified an

occurrence of a fall, then the person monitoring the user can press a button on the remote

monitoring device to stop the sound of the alarm if he/she has already been notified.

Detection of Fall Testing

For the first test procedure, the researchers distributed the thirty samples by age and

by capability. Ten, fifteen, and five samples came from children (1 – 9 years old),

23
adolescent-and-above (10 years old and above), and persons with disability respectively.

Each sample followed the type of activity set by the researcher. The device was designed to

detect for that particular activity if it is a fall or not. An activity is classified as a fall if there

is a sudden change in acceleration and orientation (in angle) detected by the sensor device.

Response Time Depending on Type of Fall

This procedure was to test the response time of the remote monitoring system to

receive signals from the fall detecting device which then generated an alarm. The types of

fall used in testing were set by the user and were the common types of fall. The type of fall

was considered to determine how fast the device would respond to different types of changes

in acceleration and orientation. The time from the moment the fall has taken place up to the

time that the monitoring system indicated an alarm. The researches will accomplished this by

using a stopwatch (with minute – seconds timing option); once a fall incident happens, the

fall sensor device would generate an alarm or a buzz. When heard by the researchers, the

time starts until the monitoring device receives the alarm, in this case an alarm will also be

produced buy the monitoring device.

Response Time Depending on Distance

The use of a wireless network in the system implied that the distance from the Zigbee

transmitter and receiver can affect the rate of transmission, as well as the efficiency of the

system. Thus, this test was performed to determine how drastic or minimal the change in

distance can affect the generation of the alarm. Certain fall occurrences were demonstrated

and the distance of the user from the remote monitoring device was varied.

24
Treatment of Data

From the data gathered, the researcher can calculate for the percentage of detecting an

actual occurrence of a fall. With these data, the researcher can determine the accuracy of the

device for a particular activity. The percentage of detection can be calculated using the

following formula:

Also, the average response time of the monitoring device to generate an alarm was

also computed to establish if the use of Zigbee technology was more effective, with respect

to the type of fall and the distance of the transmitter from the receiver. The following formula

was used:

where is the response time with respect to the type of fall,

and is the response time with respect to distance.

25
Results and Discussion

To determine the effectiveness of the device in an identifying a fall/non-fall activity,

the researchers allowed different types of group to test the device because each group of

persons have different movement attributes. It also determined the flexibility of the device to

various users.

Table 3.1.1 and 3.1.2 illustrate the data obtained during the first testing.

Table 3.1.1 Detection of Fall Test for Fall Activities

Detection
(Fall/Non-fall)
Trial Type of Person
Fall While Fall While Fall From Fall From
Walking Standing Bed Chair
1 Fall Fall Fall Fall
2 Fall Fall Fall Fall
3 Fall Fall Fall Fall
4 Fall Fall Fall Fall
5 Children Fall Fall Fall Fall
6 (1-9 yrs old) Fall Fall Fall Fall
7 Fall Fall Fall Fall
8 Fall Fall Fall Fall
9 Fall Fall Fall Fall
10 Fall Fall Fall Fall
11 Fall Fall Fall Fall
12 Fall Fall Fall Fall
13 Fall Fall Fall Fall
14 Fall Fall Fall Fall
15 Fall Fall Fall Fall
16 Fall Fall Fall Fall
17 Fall Fall Fall Fall
Adolescent
18 Fall Fall Fall Fall
(10 and above)
19 Fall Fall Fall Fall
20 Fall Fall Fall Fall
21 Fall Fall Fall Fall
22 Fall Fall Fall Fall
23 Fall Fall Fall Fall
24 Fall Fall Fall Fall
25 Fall Fall Fall Fall

26
 26 Fall Fall Fall Fall
27 Persons Fall Fall Fall Fall
28 with Fall Fall Fall Fall
29 Disability Fall Fall Fall Fall
30 Fall Fall Fall Fall

Table 3.1.1 (Detection of Fall Test for Fall Activities) shows the response of the

devices at a particular activity if a fall happens. These activities were incidents of falling

while walking, standing, from stairs, and from chair. Based on the results, the formula for

percentage of detection was applied for the fall and non-fall activities. It can be clearly seen

that the device successfully detected all kinds of fall that were set by the researchers, but

some non-fall activities were detected as fall occurrence. The result was that the device can

detect a fall from all the activities provided giving the researcher a 100% detection.

Table 3.1.2 Detection of Fall Test for Non-fall Activities

Detection
(Fall/Non-fall)
`Trial Type of Person
Walking Sitting Walking Walking
Upstairs Downstairs
1 Non-fall Non-fall Non-fall Fall
2 Non-fall Fall Non-fall Fall
3 Non-fall Non-fall Non-fall Non-fall
4 Non-fall Non-fall Non-fall Non-fall
5 Children Non-fall Non-fall Non-fall Non-fall
6 (1-9 yrs old) Non-fall Non-fall Non-fall Non-fall
7 Non-fall Fall Non-fall Fall
8 Non-fall Non-fall Non-fall Fall
9 Non-fall Fall Non-fall Fall
10 Fall Fall Fall Fall
11 Non-fall Non-fall Non-fall Fall
12 Non-fall Non-fall Non-fall Non-fall
13 Adolescent Non-fall Non-fall Fall Fall
14 (10 and above) Non-fall Non-fall Non-fall Fall
15 Fall Non-fall Fall Fall
16 Non-fall Non-fall Non-fall Non-fall

27
 17 Non-fall Non-fall Non-fall Non-fall
18 Non-fall Non-fall Non-fall Non-fall
19 Non-fall Non-fall Non-fall Non-fall
20 Non-fall Non-fall Non-fall Non-fall
21 Non-fall Fall Fall Fall
22 Non-fall Non-fall Fall Non-fall
23 Non-fall Non-fall Non-fall Fall
24 Non-fall Non-fall Non-fall Fall
25 Non-fall Fall Non-fall Fall
26 Non-fall Non-fall Fall Fall
27 Persons Non-fall Non-fall Non-fall Fall
28 with Non-fall Non-fall Non-fall Non-fall
29 Disability Non-fall Non-fall Fall Non-fall
30 Non-fall Non-fall Non-fall Non-fall

On the other hand, Table 3.1.2 Detection of Fall Test for Non-Fall Activities shows if

the device detects a fall or alarms even though the particular activity was a non-fall. These

activities were walking, sitting, and walking upstairs and downstairs. For walking – 93.33%;

sitting – 80.00%; walking upstairs – 76.67%; and walking downstairs – 46.67%. The average

percentage of detection was 74.17%. Of all the activities that were tested, walking downstairs

did not reach the acceptance to meet the objective. So as a solution, a False Fall Alarm was

added to the system. The participants can give information to the remote monitoring user that

a false fall happened. One good reason for a false detection of the device was that the

sensitivity of it. The researcher set the degree of detection to 80° to 90°, which was too high.

So the researcher can lower the degree of detection so that to change the percentage of the

outcomes.

For Table 3.2 and 3.3, the researchers accomplished the time by having a stopwatch

(with minute – seconds timing option); once a fall incident happens, the fall sensor device

generates an alarm, a buzz, when heard by the researchers, the time starts until the

monitoring device receives the alarm, in this case, an alarm can also produced by the

monitoring device.

28
 After determining the classification of activity, the response times of the devices were

obtained and the results are shown in Table 3.2 and 3.3.

Table 3.2 Fall detection with respect to time

Trial Type of Fall Response Time (s)
1 2.52
2 3.01
3 2.53
4 2.60
Fall While Walking
5 3.10
6 3.02
7 2.61
8 3.59
9 3.55
10 2.80
11 3.13
12 3.50
Fall While Standing
13 2.85
14 3.30
15 2.72
16 2.79
17 2.14
18 2.15
19 2.20
20 Fall From Chair 2.17
21 2.21
22 2.22
23 2.18
24 2.45
25 2.30
26 2.35
27 Fall From Bed 2.40
28 2.52
29 2.30
30 2.45

Table 3.2 gives information about the time between when the fall incident happens

from the monitoring device detected a fall or in other words the time between the fall sensor

device transmits a fall signal up to the time the monitoring device receives the alarm without

29
considering the distance between the devices. This shows that the average response time was

2.66 seconds which means that the device can respond aptly when a fall occurs.

Table 3.3 Fall detection with respect to distance

Trial Distance (m) Response Time (s)
1 2.13
2 2.15
3 2.20
4 2.14
5
5 2.21
6 2.18
7 2.20
8 2.22
9 2.25
10 2.22
11 2.20
12 2.31
8
13 2.24
14 2.26
15 2.30
16 2.23
17 2.45
18 2.60
19 2.53
20 11 2.57
21 3.00
22 2.85
23 2.74
24 3.52
25 3.71
26 4.00
27 14 3.66
28 3.68
29 4.01
30 3.90

Table 3.3 is most likely the same purpose with Table 3.2 but this time a distance

between the fall sensor device and monitoring device is added. The average time is 2.69

seconds.

30
 To summarize the data from the testing, Table 3.4 will be used.

Table 3.4 Summary of Gathered Data

Type of Average Response
Percent of Detection Response Time
Activity Time
With respect to Type
Fall 100% 2.66s
of Fall
With respect to
Non-fall 74.17% 2.69s
Distance

Conclusion

The objective of this study was to create a convenient and more effective device

which improves the recent methods in human fall detection, together with a monitoring

system to observe fall incidents among children, hospital patients, and the elderly. Based on

the results of the performed testing, it was shown that the device provided a 100% detection

of fall occurrences among children, adolescents, and persons with disability. With this

significant number of percentage, it can be concluded that the device was better than the

existing fall detection devices because it was very flexible for all ages unlike those that were

specifically designed for a certain bracket of age. Also, most fall detection devices today

focused on only elderly care.

This device provided a cheap way to monitor activities of persons who need

assistance because it is a small, battery-operated, and rechargeable. This means that it can

function even for home use; compared to cameras which is costly to be installed. Other

developed devices require that the user presses a button when he/she experiences a fall,

which is not very effective if the user already became unconscious or unable to move. This

31
project provides a device that can automatically detect fall incidents and transmit it into a

remote monitoring device.

The positioning of the device in the user‟s body is also significant to distinguish a fall

from a non-fall. Since it is clipped on the torso on the user which is the center of gravity of

the body, it is more convenient to be worn on a daily basis because it does not cause

distraction to daily activities, compared to previous devices which are embedded in belts,

pendant, or even worn on the wrist.

The device also allowed the user to put the alarm system into sleep mode incase the

monitoring system was not be in used, and a false alarm button was provided in the device

which was worn by the user just in case he/she does not need immediate attention. Thus, it

allowed the functionalities of the system to be modified by the user according to his/her

needs which was not present in the other fall detection devices.

With the use of Zigbee technology, the system provided a more efficient way in

transmitting data to the remote monitoring system because it only took 2.66-2.69 seconds to

generate an alarm, from the moment of that the fall has taken place. This significantly meant

that the device was efficient for urgent assistance to avoid serious injuries or fractures in case

that someone had fallen.

32
Recommendation

Further studies may be done to incorporate the fall detection device with a GPS

module to be able to easily identify the location of the person where he/she experienced the

fall. The remote monitoring system may also be provided with a larger screen to be able to

display a map which shows the boundary of the location of the user and the system will

generate an alarm and track the user in the map. This may be more effective if the system is

used in a wider area or in a hospital building.

Another innovation that can be done to the project is that the remote monitoring

system can send a notification to a mobile phone via SMS if a fall has been detected. This is

can be very effective for home use. But these two stated improvements can also be added

simultaneously to the system to provide a better fall detection and monitoring system. In

addition to that, the monitoring system may be improved so that it can handle multiple users

of fall detection devices. For example one monitoring device, many fall detection devices.

This can be done through a database system wherein each fall detection device has a specific

ID and information about the user.

33
References

Wu G., Xue S. (2008). Portable Preimpact Fall Detector with Inertial Sensors. IEEE

Transactions on Neutral Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, Vol. 16, No. 2

D.-S. Huang, K. Li, and G.W. Irwin (2006). Fall Detection by Wearable Sensor and One-

Class SVM Algorithm. ICIC 2006, LNCIS 345, pp. 858-863, 2006

J. Chen, K. Kwong, D. Chang, J. Luk, R. Bajcsy (2005). Wearable sensors for reliable fall

detection. Proceedings of the 27th Engineering in Medicine and Biology Conference,

pp. 3551-3554, IEEE.

M. Lustrek and B. Kaluza (2009). Fall Detection and Activity Recognition with Machine

Learning, Jozef Stefan Institute, Department of Intelligent Systems, Informatica 33,

pp. 205-212

A.K. Bourke, J.V. O‟Brien, G.M. Lyons (2007). Evaluation of a threshold-based tri-axial

accelerometer fall detection algorithm. Biomedical Electronics Laboratory,

Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, Gait & Posture 26 (2007), pp

194-199

Y. Lee, M. Lee (2007). Implementation of Accelerometer Sensor Module and Fall Detection

Monitoring System based on Wireless Sensor Network. Yonsei University,

Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, pp. 1-8

34
Carlijn V.C. Bouten, Karel T. M. Koekkoek, Maarten Verduin, RensKodde, Jan D. Janssen

(1997). A triaxial accelerometer and portable data processing unit for the assessment

of daily physical activity. IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, Vol.44,

pp.136-147, 1997.

Tinetti, M. E., Speechley, M. & Ginter, S. F.. Risk factors for falls among elderly

personsliving in the community. New England Journal of Medicine 319(26): 1701–

1707.

Hammadi Nait-Charif and Stephen J. McKenna (2004). Activity Summarisation and Fall

Detection in a Supportive Home Environment. Division of Applied Computing,

University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, Scotland

Hana Na (2009). A Study on Detection of Risk Factors of a Toddler‟s Fall Injuries Using

Visual Dynamic Motion Cues. School of Engineering and Design, Brunel University,

Uxbridge, Middlesex, United Kingdom.

Qiang Li, John A. Stankovic, Mark Hanson, Adam Barth, John Lach. Accurate, Fast Fall

Detection Using Gyroscopes and Accelerometer-Derived Posture Information.

University of Virginia.

35
 Chapter 4

CONCLUSION

The objective of this study was to create a convenient and more effective device

which improves the recent methods in human fall detection, together with a monitoring

system to observe fall incidents among children, hospital patients, and the elderly. Based on

the results of the performed testing, it was shown that the device provided a 100% detection

of fall occurrences among children, adolescents, and persons with disability. With this

significant number of percentage, it can be concluded that the device was better than the

existing fall detection devices because it was very flexible for all ages unlike those that were

specifically designed for a certain bracket of age. Also, most fall detection devices today

focused on only elderly care.

This device provided a cheap way to monitor activities of persons who need

assistance because it is a small, battery-operated, and rechargeable. This means that it can

function even for home use; compared to cameras which is costly to be installed. Other

developed devices require that the user presses a button when he/she experiences a fall,

which is not very effective if the user already became unconscious or unable to move. This

project provides a device that can automatically detect fall incidents and transmit it into a

remote monitoring device.

The positioning of the device in the user‟s body is also significant to distinguish a fall

from a non-fall. Since it is clipped on the torso on the user which is the center of gravity of

the body, it is more convenient to be worn on a daily basis because it does not cause

36
distraction to daily activities, compared to previous devices which are embedded in belts,

pendant, or even worn on the wrist.

The device also allowed the user to put the alarm system into sleep mode incase the

monitoring system was not be in used, and a false alarm button was provided in the device

which was worn by the user just in case he/she does not need immediate attention. Thus, it

allowed the functionalities of the system to be modified by the user according to his/her

needs which was not present in the other fall detection devices.

With the use of Zigbee technology, the system provided a more efficient way in

transmitting data to the remote monitoring system because it only took 2.66-2.69 seconds to

generate an alarm, from the moment of that the fall has taken place. This significantly meant

that the device was efficient for urgent assistance to avoid serious injuries or fractures in case

that someone had fallen.

37
 Chapter 5

RECOMMENDATION

Further studies may be done to incorporate the fall detection device with a GPS

module to be able to easily identify the location of the person where he/she experienced the

fall. The remote monitoring system may also be provided with a larger screen to be able to

display a map which shows the boundary of the location of the user and the system will

generate an alarm and track the user in the map. This may be more effective if the system is

used in a wider area or in a hospital building.

Another innovation that can be done to the project is that the remote monitoring

system can send a notification to a mobile phone via SMS if a fall has been detected. This is

can be very effective for home use. But these two stated improvements can also be added

simultaneously to the system to provide a better fall detection and monitoring system. In

addition to that, the monitoring system may be improved so that it can handle multiple users

of fall detection devices. For example one monitoring device, many fall detection devices.

This can be done through a database system wherein each fall detection device has a specific

ID and information about the user.

38
 REFERENCES

Wu G., Xue S. (2008). Portable Preimpact Fall Detector with Inertial Sensors. IEEE

Transactions on Neutral Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, Vol. 16, No. 2

D.-S. Huang, K. Li, and G.W. Irwin (2006). Fall Detection by Wearable Sensor and One-

Class SVM Algorithm. ICIC 2006, LNCIS 345, pp. 858-863, 2006

J. Chen, K. Kwong, D. Chang, J. Luk, R. Bajcsy (2005). Wearable sensors for reliable fall

detection. Proceedings of the 27th Engineering in Medicine and Biology Conference,

pp. 3551-3554, IEEE.

M. Lustrek and B. Kaluza (2009). Fall Detection and Activity Recognition with Machine

Learning, Jozef Stefan Institute, Department of Intelligent Systems, Informatica 33,

pp. 205-212

A.K. Bourke, J.V. O‟Brien, G.M. Lyons (2007). Evaluation of a threshold-based tri-axial

accelerometer fall detection algorithm. Biomedical Electronics Laboratory,

Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, Gait & Posture 26 (2007), pp

194-199

Y. Lee, M. Lee (2007). Implementation of Accelerometer Sensor Module and Fall Detection

Monitoring System based on Wireless Sensor Network. Yonsei University,

Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, pp. 1-8

39
Carlijn V.C. Bouten, Karel T. M. Koekkoek, Maarten Verduin, RensKodde, Jan D. Janssen

(1997). A triaxial accelerometer and portable data processing unit for the assessment

of daily physical activity. IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, Vol.44,

pp.136-147, 1997.

Tinetti, M. E., Speechley, M. & Ginter, S. F.. Risk factors for falls among elderly

personsliving in the community. New England Journal of Medicine 319(26): 1701–

1707.

Hammadi Nait-Charif and Stephen J. McKenna (2004). Activity Summarisation and Fall

Detection in a Supportive Home Environment. Division of Applied Computing,

University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, Scotland

Hana Na (2009). A Study on Detection of Risk Factors of a Toddler‟s Fall Injuries Using

Visual Dynamic Motion Cues. School of Engineering and Design, Brunel University,

Uxbridge, Middlesex, United Kingdom.

Qiang Li, John A. Stankovic, Mark Hanson, Adam Barth, John Lach. Accurate, Fast Fall

Detection Using Gyroscopes and Accelerometer-Derived Posture Information.

University of Virginia.

40
APPENDICES

41
 APPENDIX A
DATASHEET OF PIC18F1220

42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
 APPENDIX B
DATASHEET OF ZIGBEE MODULE

50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
 APPENDIX C
DATASHEET OF ACCELEROMETER

60
61
62
63
64
 APPENDIX D
DATASHEET OF LCD DISPLAY

65
66
 APPENDIX E
PCB DESIGN

67
 APPENDIX F
SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM

68