Recognizing complex instrumental activities of daily living using scene information and fuzzy logic

We describe a novel technique to combine motion data with scene information to capture activity characteristics of older adults using a single Microsoft Kinect depth sensor. Specifically, we describe a method to learn activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental ADLs (IADLs) in order to study the behavior patterns of older adults to detect health changes. To learn the ADLs, we incorporate scene information to provide contextual information to build our activity model. The strength of our algorithm lies in its generalizability to model different ADLs while adding more information to the model as we instantiate ADLs from learned activity states. We validate our results in a controlled environment and compare it with another widely accepted classifier, the hidden Markov model (HMM) and its variations. We also test our system on depth data collected in a dynamic unstructured environment at TigerPlace, an independent living facility for older adults. An in-home activity monitoring system would benefit from our algorithm to alert healthcare providers of significant temporal changes in ADL behavior patterns of frail older adults for fall risk, cognitive impairment, and other health changes. © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.