Wireless Sensor Network based Fall Detection and Emergency Alert System using Deep Learning

Abstract

Falls among the elderly and individuals with mobility impairments pose significant health risks, often leading to severe injuries or fatalities. Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have emerged as a promising solution to monitor the well-being of these individuals in real-time. This paper presents a Fall Detection and Emergency Alert System based on WSNs, integrated with deep learning algorithms to provide accurate and timely alerts for fall incidents. The system utilizes a network of sensors embedded in wearable devices or environmental installations to capture movement and activity data. Machine learning models, particularly deep learning techniques such as Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks, are employed to analyze sensor data and accurately detect falls. Once a fall is detected, the system triggers an emergency alert, notifying caregivers, family members, or medical personnel through mobile apps or automated messaging systems. The proposed system enhances the safety of vulnerable individuals by offering real-time monitoring and rapid response capabilities, reducing the risks associated with delayed fall detection. Experimental results demonstrate the high accuracy and reliability of the deep learning-based fall detection system, making it a valuable tool for health monitoring in a smart healthcare environment.

Introduction

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) combined with deep learning have become vital for real-time health monitoring, especially in fall detection and emergency alert systems for the elderly and patients with mobility issues. Falls pose significant health risks, and timely detection can improve emergency responses and reduce harm. The system integrates wearable and ambient sensors (like accelerometers and gyroscopes) to collect real-time movement data, which is processed by deep learning models—particularly CNNs and RNNs—to accurately distinguish falls from normal activities, minimizing false alarms. Upon detecting a fall, the system automatically alerts caregivers with essential information, supporting remote monitoring and timely interventions.

Beyond fall detection, deep learning enhances the analysis of various vital signs captured by sensors (heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, temperature, respiratory rate, EMG), enabling early disease detection, personalized healthcare, and remote patient monitoring. The integration of AI with sensor data improves diagnostic precision, predictive analytics, and patient outcomes by enabling proactive healthcare.

The literature review highlights recent research focused on improving fall detection accuracy using deep learning frameworks, such as CNN-BiGRU models and YOLO algorithms, applied in different environments (wearables, industrial safety, image/video recognition). Challenges remain in sensor data interpretation, model explainability, computational requirements, and privacy. However, ongoing advancements in AI-powered sensors and deep learning are revolutionizing healthcare diagnostics, promising more reliable, efficient, and personalized medical solutions.

Conclusion

The hybrid deep learning model, combining Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Long Short-Term Memory networks (LSTM), is expected to achieve an accuracy rate of over 96%. This high accuracy results from the model\'s ability to capture both spatial and temporal features from sensor data, distinguishing between normal activities and falls effectively.Detection Time: The system will detect falls within 1–2 seconds of occurrence.Alert Transmission: Emergency alerts will be transmitted to caregivers or emergency contacts within 3 seconds post-detection, including real-time location and sensor data.The system will be tested using a dataset of 10,000 labeled data points collected from various activities (walking, sitting, standing, and simulated falls). Validation will be conducted through k-fold cross-validation (k=5) to ensure model robustness and prevent overfitting.The system aims to achieve a breakthrough in fall detection by combining WSN technology and deep learning models. With an expected accuracy exceeding 96% and real-time emergency alert capabilities, this solution will enhance elderly care, ensuring rapid response to falls and minimizing injury risks.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Mr. Vineet Kumar Bhushan, Ms. Yamini Gowardhan, Dr. Vivek Shukla . This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.