ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the AGE@HOME platform, which has been formed on the basis of the preceding research and analysis. It provides an overview of developments toward the digital home and the main challenges encountered. It presents the background, objectives, and overview of AGE@HOME before introducing the decision-support model. Wireless connectivity is seen as a crucial element in creating convenient and smart living spaces to enhance the quality of life of residents at home and away. The use of wireless networks is seen as preferable as they provide the ability to interconnect various devices in the home with ease, while the “re-wiring” of an entire household is typically prohibitive in terms of cost and inconvenience. An RFID system can provide a unique platform for transmitting data between sensors and a central controller. Tags on sensors can communicate with RFID readers, which can then transmit data to the controller through wireless networking technologies like Zigbee, or those more widely available, like WLAN.
