AmI technology has been identified in the area of living Abstract Ambient Intelligence based home care systems assistance for people with special needs suffering from all (AHCS) have the potential to overcome problems current kinds of disabilities, e.g., gait changes, neurological home care systems are facing with. On the downside, alterations, visual acuity changes, to name but a few [26]. engineering full-fledged AHCS is a non-trivial task, andIt is very understandable that many people want to remain convincing solutions are still lacking. Current approaches still in their familiar living environment especially when they get are focused mainly on technology rather than the user older, or that they prefer recuperating at home rather than in a perspective and fail to address usability issues. Additionally, hospital. This improves their quality of life and gives them most solutions have a narrow focus, are not context-aware, self-confidence -which are some of the best things that can and have difficulties to integrate with other living assistance be achieved with modern computer technology. Although solutions. This results in reduced assistance. In this paper, we Home Care Systems (HCS) have been available for several (i) motivate the application of Ambient Intelligence years now [21], currently available solutions still reveal some technology for home care systems and identify shortcomings shortcomings, and leave some benefits unexploited. On the of current solutions, (ii) outline an integrated system approach other hand, AmI-based home care systems (AHCS) have the to full-fledged AHCS, and (iii) introduce the amiCA system. potential to overcome these problems. On the downside, engineering full-fledged AHCS is a non-trivial task, and Index Terms-Ambient Intelligence, Home Care Systems, convincing solutions are still lacking. Current approaches still System Architecture, Integrated Approach are focused mainly on technology rather than the user perspective and fail to address usability issues. Additionally, most solutions have a narrow focus, are not context-aware, W tITH sufficiently powerful and cheap computers on and have difficulties to integrate with other living assistance small VLSI chips, information technology has stepped solutions, which result all in reduced assistance. into a new era of computing called ubiquitous or pervasive The purpose of this paper is threefold: (i) motivate the computing [34]. The negligible size and costs of those application of AmI technology for home care systems and computers make it feasible to integrate them in practically all identify shortcomings of current solutions, (ii) outline an items of our daily lives, such as furniture, clothing etc., integrated system approach to full-fledged AHCS, and (iii) making these objects smarter and easier to use. Environments introduce the amiCA system. As specific contributions of this equipped with such sensitive and responsive computer nodes paper we consider: (i) the identification of specific system and are referred to as being ambien...
