Biometrics for Care Environments
From: University of Kent - 01/05/2011

Biometrics researchers in the United Kingdom are exploring user-friendly ways
to enable telecare systems and applications to recognize individuals from
their facial and vocal characteristics. Researchers from the University of
Kent's School of Engineering and Digital Arts and InMezzo want to make it
easier for patients receiving health care and vulnerable individuals
receiving social care to access the technology. Telecare enables health and
social care to monitor people remotely and receive alerts when incidents
occur, and the technology often allows for the electronic transmission of
personal health and welfare information. The researchers are using the audio
visual functions of the healthcare delivery platform SmartCare. They also
plan to develop a door entry system that recognizes the faces and voices of
authorized carers and other visitors, which would help improve the safety and
security of people who live alone. "This work is indicative of many
initiatives in place to bring practical solutions to existing telecare
technologies and we are extremely pleased with the objectives of this project
and progress being made," says David Parry, CEO of the South East Health
Technologies Alliance, which manages the International Center for Excellence
in Telecare. 

Read the entire article at:
http://www.kent.ac.uk/news/stories/biometrics-care-environments/2010

Links:
University of Kent’s School of Engineering and Digital Arts
http://www.eda.kent.ac.uk/

InMezzo
http://www.inmezzo.com/

Technology Strategy Board
http://www.sehta.co.uk/about

Telecare
http://www.telecareaware.com/index.php/ice-t-sehta.html

SmartCare
http://www.smartcare-uk.com

Michael Fairhurst
M.C.Fairhurst@kent.ac.uk

South East Health Technologies Alliance
http://www.sehta.co.uk/