There is a growing need in society to enable older adults to remain in an independent living environment. Older adults living in their own homes may be faced with situations in which there is a mismatch between the demands of their daily environment and their capabilities. These situations generally result from both increased demands (e.g., use of new medical devices) and deficits in the capabilities of the individual (e.g., age-related changes in cognition, perception, or movement control). There is great potential for robotics to support the needs of older adults -- either directly or by supporting the activities of professional caregivers (e.g., nurses or physical therapists) who work in the homes of older adults.
Hydrostream (aka Hydrosense) is a server-based platform for the collection, visualization, annotation and analysis of water pressure in a home setting. The pressure sensor can be attached behind the dishwasher, under the sink or on a spigot outside. With intelligent analytics, the system is capable of detecting patterns in water use.