Th3 Core

 Parents have got me digging.  What with old age and dementia, and the lady next door being violently attacked and Robber last year, I am looking for a solution for vulnerable people.

I started with trying to think of a way to monitor a lack of movement, so i would know if they were not doing their usual routine.  My next door neighbour, is terrified of being tied up again, and being left.  She would have been there 3 days if she had not got free.  It took her 1 1/2 hours to get free of the tape.

So a panic button (PERS) does not do it.  If you are unconscious, then you cannot hit a panic button. Dead... likewise.  Think of the pets. 

There is some amazing bits of kit about. Just Checking co.uk they cost £1000 p.a. Thats a cheap one.  if you want remote locking doors its more.

So what am I thinking?  a few door activated switches, current or water flow activated switches.  perhaps motion sensors.  All on battery power, for easy fitting, and bluetoothed or wirelessly talking to a phone, or dumb phone than then sends data to a web server. 

I should be able to do it for £50 parts.

Door detectors are on ebay for £2.50.  i could probably even get a burglar alarm, that is internet linked, and use that, just removing the alarm, and then getting someone to change the website to show it differently. Even an app to ping if patterns are broken. 

Any one any experience of this? 

Free-standing independent dwellings in each case.

Webcams are out for privacy... 2 of the people I have discussed it with categorically refuse to wear anything, so Jawbone etc are all out. Makes them feel old and monitored.

So i am looking non intrusive.  I have found complete alarm systems for $55 on alibaba. If I can hack it somehow to send the info as data (They have a sim slot) to a webserver... I am there....

Instead of ringing a bell, it just needs to send a message.

EG:

zone 1 activated...
zone 2 activated. 

where Zone 1 is the fridge door, zone 2 the toilet door, toilet flush or whatever.

Once I have 1 working, I will have about 10 to set up....  so its not a million miles off a new business.

In the backcountry, systems like the SPOT (http://findmespot.com/en/) are becoming pretty popular. This allows people to check in on a pre-established schedule. (You can customize the message.) A missed check-in would cover situations where you were unable to press a panic button, and there is also a "rescue me" message option if getting to a panic button is an option.

The thing I like about the systems that you're talking about is that the "no signal" alert is automatic, and doesn't rely on someone remembering to check in. Also with the SPOT, you pay extra for the rescue beacon, which is more for people who are on the move rather than just hanging around their apartment/house. But the principle of the thing might help in your thinking with how you want to design this.

> the "no signal" alert is automatic

Elders get feisty -even obstructionist- about being monitored.  But there are some ways to do it transparently, maybe.  Motion detectors, water usage, light switches, etc.  BUT Rupert is also worried about home invasion, which would satisfy most of the occupancy tests.

I've been watching Rpi forums for smarthome/security stuff.  It's developing, but I've not been watching it closely.

Thanks Jason. Blink is a great solution to monitor the house while I'm away. Pre-ordered and I'll also report back when they arrive.

Blink is currently hosted.

Blink’s default setting will store all video on our secure servers. Additionally, the Sync Module also features a USB port, and we’ll be issuing a firmware update in Q2 2016 that will allow users the option to send video clips directly to on-board storage. All other Blink functionality will be designed to work with this option, provided the USB stick is in place. You also have the ability, at any time, to download a clip or clips from the server and save to your preferred location.

But that's supposed to change:

Coming Soon: On-board USB storage
The Sync Module includes a USB port that will allow users the option to send video clips directly to on-board storage instead of Blink’s servers. All other Blink functionality will be designed to work with this option, provided the USB stick is in place.

I'm going to order it, too.  Good find, Jason.

Now back to Rupert's NO CAM solution

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I think SMS offers the best notification method overall.

I think I've found the down and dirty, cheap answer to go with.

Get an old Android phone,  - Connect it to Wifi in the house, install the following app - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.motion.detector

Set it in the kitchen (plugged in), likely by the sink or other suitable regularly visited place.

It will detect movement and if you also hook it up to Tasker, you can create a simple task that if no images within certain period, do *thing* such as send emergency SMS

Of course it will work well enough without Tasker but will send images every time something happens and that relies on the reverse implementation and humans (you?) to notice it hasn't sent an email with an image in the last X time period.