ActiVibe: Using a Vibration Sensor for Activity Recognition

This paper introduces a new approach to activity recognition using a novel sensor: the micro-vibrational sensor. The sensor is a miniaturized ball switch with a very high sensitivity which in some circumstances is as decisive as an accelerometer as to specific activities. The sensor is worn in parallel with an acceleration sensor in order to exactly determine its capabilities and the results are compared with other accelerometer-based activity recognition implementations. A substantially lower price, smaller device size, very competitive classification percentage possibilities and power consumption many times less than accelerometers make this sensor very attractive. This paper explores the properties of both sensors as context recognition tools and examines the vibration sensor as an advantageous replacement for the accelerometer in existing activity recognition applications in energy-conscious applications.