ElderGuard - IoT Health Monitoring System for Elderly Care

Overview

ElderGuard is a comprehensive IoT-based health monitoring system designed specifically for elderly care. Built on the ESP32 platform, the system provides real-time health monitoring, fall detection, location tracking, and medication reminders to help elderly individuals maintain independence while ensuring their safety and well-being.

Key Features

• Health Monitoring

  • Real-time ECG and heart rate monitoring
  • Continuous vital sign tracking
  • Health data logging and analysis

• Safety Features

  • Advanced fall detection algorithm using MPU6050
  • Emergency alert system
  • Real-time GPS location tracking

• Medication Management

  • Scheduled medication reminders
  • Compliance tracking
  • Configurable dosage information

• User Interface

  • OLED display with intuitive information layout
  • Voice alerts and notifications
  • Simple control interface for elderly users

• Connectivity

  • Wi-Fi for home network connection
  • MQTT for real-time data transmission
  • HTTP for web-based monitoring interface
  • OTA firmware updates

Hardware Components

Component	Purpose	Interface
ESP32 DevKit V1	Main controller	-
AD8232 ECG Module	Heart monitoring	Analog
MPU6050 Accelerometer	Fall detection	I2C
NEO-6M GPS Module	Location tracking	Serial (UART)
SSD1306 OLED Display	User interface	I2C
MP3-TF-16P Module	Audio notifications	Serial (UART)
LiPo Battery	Power source	-

System Architecture

ElderGuard uses a multi-tasking architecture based on FreeRTOS:

                  ┌─────────────────┐
                  │     ESP32       │
                  │  Main Controller│
                  └────────┬────────┘
                           │
       ┌───────────────────┼───────────────────┐
       │                   │                   │
┌──────▼──────┐     ┌──────▼──────┐     ┌──────▼──────┐
│  Sensing    │     │  Processing  │     │ Communication│
│  Tasks      │     │  Tasks       │     │  Tasks       │
└──────┬──────┘     └──────┬──────┘     └──────┬──────┘
       │                   │                   │
┌──────▼──────┐     ┌──────▼──────┐     ┌──────▼──────┐
│ ECG Task    │     │Fall Detection│     │ WiFi Task   │
│ GPS Task    │     │Medication    │     │ MQTT Task   │
└─────────────┘     │Time Task     │     │ HTTP Task   │
                    └─────────────┘     └─────────────┘

Task Organization

The system is organized into multiple FreeRTOS tasks, each handling a specific function:

• Sensing Tasks

  • ecg_task: Monitors heart signals and processes ECG data
  • gps_task: Handles GPS data acquisition and location tracking

• Processing Tasks

  • fall_detection_task: Processes accelerometer data to detect falls
  • medication_task: Manages medication schedules and reminds
  • time_task: Maintains system time via NTP

• Interface Tasks

  • screen_task: Manages the OLED display
  • audio_task: Controls the audio notification system

• Connectivity Tasks

  • wifi_task: Handles WiFi connectivity
  • mqtt_task: Manages MQTT communication
  • http_task: Provides HTTP server functionality
  • firmware_update_task: Handles OTA updates

Setup and Installation

Prerequisites

• PlatformIO IDE (recommended) or Arduino IDE
• ESP32 board support package
• Required libraries (see below)

Required Libraries

All dependencies are managed through PlatformIO:

• Adafruit GFX Library
• Adafruit SH110X
• Adafruit MPU6050
• Adafruit Unified Sensor
• TinyGPSPlus
• DFRobotDFPlayerMini
• NTPClient
• PubSubClient
• ArduinoJson
• WebSockets

Hardware Setup

1. Connect components according to the pin definitions in include/config.h
2. Ensure proper power distribution
3. Verify all sensor connections

Software Installation

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/aland-omed/ElderGuardesp32devkitv1.git
   

2. Open the project in PlatformIO
3. Build and upload to your ESP32

Configuration

The system is configured through the config.h file, which contains:

• Pin definitions for all connected hardware
• Network settings
• MQTT broker information
• System parameters and thresholds

Usage Guide

1. Power on the device
2. Wait for system initialization (displayed on OLED)
3. The system will automatically:
   • Connect to WiFi
   • Synchronize time
   • Start all monitoring tasks
4. View system status on the OLED display
5. Alerts will be provided through:
   • Audio notifications
   • OLED display
   • MQTT messages to connected services

Project Structure

ElderGuard/
├── include/                  # Header files
│   ├── audio_task.h          # Audio notifications
│   ├── config.h              # System configuration
│   ├── ecg_task.h            # ECG monitoring
│   ├── fall_detection_task.h # Fall detection algorithms
│   ├── firmware_update_task.h# OTA update functionality
│   ├── globals.h             # Global variables & structures
│   ├── gps_task.h            # GPS location tracking
│   ├── http_task.h           # HTTP server implementation
│   ├── medication_task.h     # Medication reminders
│   ├── mqtt_task.h           # MQTT client implementation
│   ├── screen_task.h         # OLED display controller
│   ├── time_task.h           # NTP time synchronization
│   └── wifi_task.h           # WiFi connectivity
├── src/                      # Source files
│   ├── globals.cpp           # Global variables implementation
│   ├── main.cpp              # Main program entry point
│   └── tasks/                # Task implementations
│       ├── audio_task.cpp    # Audio system implementation
│       ├── ecg_task.cpp      # ECG monitoring implementation
│       ├── fall_detection_task.cpp # Fall detection implementation
│       ├── firmware_update_task.cpp # OTA updates implementation
│       ├── gps_task.cpp      # GPS task implementation
│       ├── http_task.cpp     # HTTP server implementation
│       ├── medication_task.cpp # Medication reminder implementation
│       ├── mqtt_task.cpp     # MQTT client implementation
│       ├── screen_task.cpp   # OLED display implementation
│       ├── time_task.cpp     # Time synchronization implementation
│       └── wifi_task.cpp     # WiFi connection handling
├── platformio.ini            # PlatformIO configuration
├── COPYRIGHT.md              # Copyright and license information
└── README.md                 # Project documentation

Development Status

• Current Version: V3.0 (April 2025)
• Status: Active Development
• Last Updated: April 26, 2025

Future Enhancements

• Cloud integration for data storage and analysis
• Mobile app companion for remote monitoring
• Machine learning for improved fall detection
• Additional health sensors integration
• Battery optimization for extended runtime

Authors

• Aland Omed - GitHub
• Harun Hameed
• Zhir Jamil

Project developed as a graduation project at Komar University of Science and Technology.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the COPYRIGHT.md file for details.

Acknowledgments

• Komar University of Science and Technology for supporting this project
• All contributors to the open-source libraries used in this project
• The ESP32 community for their extensive resources and examples

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ElderGuard - Caring technology for independent living