SUSI – AI Assistance for Independent Living in Old Age

SUSI supports older people in their daily lives with contactless vital data monitoring, intelligent assistance, and a clear focus on privacy, independence, and everyday health support. Many older people want to live independently in their own homes for as long as possible. At the same time, the need for everyday support, health guidance, and reliable communication with relatives or caregivers is increasing. This is exactly where SUSI comes in: the project develops an AI-based assistance system that discreetly accompanies seniors, detects changes at an early stage, and eases everyday life.

What is SUSI about?

SUSI is developing an intelligent assistance system for the home environment. The goal is to support older people in their daily lives, make changes in their health status visible at an early stage, and strengthen independence at home.

To achieve this, SUSI combines contactless vital data monitoring, AI-supported analysis, and senior-friendly interaction. The system can record pulse, breathing, and movement patterns and derive indications of changes in health over time. In addition, SUSI supports everyday routines, reminds users of medication or appointments, and can involve relatives or caregivers if desired.

Importantly, SUSI does not provide medical diagnoses. The system acts as a digital assistant designed to highlight irregularities early and help structure daily life.

Why the project matters

More and more older people live alone. At the same time, social interaction, regular health monitoring, and everyday support are not always readily available. Existing technical solutions are often perceived as complicated, stigmatizing, or overly intrusive.

SUSI therefore takes a different approach: the system is designed to be unobtrusive, easy to understand, and tailored to the daily lives of older people. It combines health support, communication, and digital assistance in a way that is acceptable and respects privacy.

How SUSI works

SUSI uses various sensors and AI methods to better understand daily routines and the health status of seniors.

These include:

• Contactless pulse measurement using camera-based analysis of skin color changes
• Detection of breathing movements via depth or distance sensors
• Analysis of activity and movement patterns
• Integration of additional devices, such as blood pressure or blood oxygen monitors, when available
• Voice interaction for reminders, queries, and everyday support

The collected information is processed locally and translated into helpful insights. SUSI can, for example, remind users to take medication, encourage measurements, or point out unusual changes.

Fraunhofer IGD – Contribution and Expertise

Fraunhofer IGD contributes its extensive expertise in contactless vital data acquisition, AI-based analysis of health data, and human-technology interaction.

Within the project, Fraunhofer IGD develops methods for capturing and analyzing vital parameters such as pulse, respiration, and movement patterns. This includes camera-based approaches such as remote photoplethysmography as well as AI models that detect changes over time and provide indications of anomalies.

Another focus is the development of intelligent decision models that combine different sensor data, analyze them in context, and take into account the limitations of AI systems, data protection requirements, and security aspects.