MmWave technology could be a gamechanger for care homes struggling with the eternal tug-of-war between resident monitoring and privacy.
Fujitsu’s “Millimeter-Wave Monitoring System” hit the Japanese market last week and offers a refreshing alternative to the “cameras everywhere” approach that quite rightly makes a lot of us uncomfortable.
I’ve seen countless attempts to solve this problem over the years, but most end up feeling like a compromise. Fujitsu’s approach is more unique in that it sidesteps video recording altogether.
The system works by picking up on subtle body movements – even breathing and muscle activity – using radar technology rather than cameras.
Fujitsu’s AI then makes sense of these patterns to spot when something’s amiss. For example, the system can notice if someone has fallen and isn’t getting back up, or if breathing becomes irregular during sleep.
I’ve previously spoken with care home managers about their monitoring challenges and overnight supervision was consistently their biggest headache. With ageing populations combining with staffing shortages to create nothing short of a crisis across the sector, technologies like this mmWave monitoring solution that can act as an extra pair of eyes during the graveyard shift are in high demand.
Nobody wants CCTV watching their every move in private spaces. The dignity factor matters enormously, particularly in accessible toilets and personal care situations. This radar approach seems to strike a sensible balance to keep people safe without compromising their dignity,
The alert system seems well thought through too. Rather than blaring alarms that disturb everyone, notifications go to designated staff members’ devices. We’ve likely all seen panic button systems in action that create general chaos when triggered.
Fujitsu has been testing its technology in AEON MALL’s accessible toilets and working with Wakayama Medical University on fall detection. Too often we see tech solutions developed in isolation from the environments they’ll actually be used in.
Of course, the proof will be in the pudding once care facilities start implementing this mmWave monitoring solution more widely.
Here in the UK, although mirrored across most global care systems, the sector has often been slow to adopt new technologies. This is in part due to budget constraints, but also because of justified caution around introducing changes that affect vulnerable people.
With the Care Quality Commission increasingly focusing on both dignity and safety in their inspections, technologies that address both requirements simultaneously could find themselves pushing at an open door.
If Fujitsu can get this mmWave monitoring solution right, this could change how we think about care environment monitoring, improve safety, and provide some degree of relief to a sector in crisis.
(Photo by Claudia Love)
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