Page 242 - Handbook of Electronic Assistive Technology

Chapter 8 • Assisted Living 231

the dispersed alarm system, although how the remote access facility was to be used to
moderate service response was never resolved. This was largely because of the technical
challenges of incorporating remote access into their proprietary alert management sys-
tem. The system also included a video door entry system that had the capability of being
diverted to a mobile phone. This system is still in operation but the remote access facility
has been withdrawn.

Bath Institute of Medical Engineering

In 1999 the Bath Institute of Medical Engineering (BIME), in conjunction with Dementia
Voice and Housing 21, formed a consortium to develop a smart house, the Gloucester
Smart House, which was launched in June 2000 (Orpwood, 2001). It was designed as a
show home to demonstrate how smart technology could be applied sympathetically and
as a test bed for disability-specific devices. BIME took the strategic decision to work with
KNX technology and subsequently designed a number of compatible devices intended to
support a dementia sufferer in remaining effective within their living environment. These
included:
1� Bath monitor – bath taps contain encoders that provided input data to the water
control system, which also monitored water level in the bath. These information
sources were linked to bathroom presence monitoring, with feedback provided to the
user by recorded voice prompts, allowing the process of initiating and managing the
filling of a bath to be monitored and supported in a safe and intuitive manner.
2� Cooker monitor – encoders in the cooker controls were used, as with the bath
monitor, in combination with gas detectors and spot temperature measurements, to
provide a safe cooking environment.
3� Voice feedback system – this was initially provided via a radio, following detailed user
evaluations, but was later transferred into a standalone speaker system.

The decision to work with the KNX system had been justified on the basis that the
environment for specialist device development is improved when designers are freed
from developing infrastructure; additionally, this approach facilitated technology transfer
(Adlam and Orpwood, 2008). They had previously recognised the necessity to investigate
wireless options (Orpwood et al., 2001), which were then implemented in the Bristol flat,
reported later.
Following the success of the smart house in Gloucester, Housing 21 agreed to the instal-
lation of two real-life installations, one in Hillside Court, Bristol, and one in Deptford,
London (Adlam and Orpwood, 2004). Both of these accommodations were within extra
care housing schemes, the Bristol flat being intended for intermediate care. The Gloucester
Smart House closed in 2004, with all technology being stripped out, when the work began
on the Bristol flat, with the agreement that its role as a demonstrator role could be trans-
ferred to this new facility. This demonstrator role was never implemented on the Bristol
site as staff on site were uncomfortable with this arrangement.