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Researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University and Emory University deployed HomePal, a home sensor system, in the homes of 70 independently living adults aged 65 and older for three months. They are comparing sensor data with loneliness assessments to test whether behavior patterns could help caregivers identify people who may need follow-up; the system has not been shown to diagnose loneliness.
Researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University and Emory University have tested a home sensor system called HomePal with 70 independently living adults aged 65 and older, aiming to learn whether routine activity patterns could help flag possible loneliness for caregiver follow-up. The three-month study is still being analyzed, and the researchers say HomePal is not a loneliness diagnostic tool.
HomePal combines commercially available and custom sensors to passively record aspects of daily life, including movement, sleep, television use and phone-call patterns. The system also uses smart speakers. Researchers say the data may reveal changes or patterns that correlate with loneliness, but those signals are indirect: a sensor cannot establish how someone feels on its own.
The prototype was deployed in the homes of 70 adults aged 65 and older in metro Atlanta who live independently. The team plans to compare the collected data with loneliness assessments conducted every two weeks. Researchers are using an AI model to examine which measured patterns are most strongly associated with participants’ assessment results.
Mohamed Kamel, a computer science doctoral student at VCU and the study’s lead author, described the aim as looking for “early signs” in everyday home behavior that a person may be experiencing loneliness or social withdrawal. The researchers have not reported a validated model’s accuracy or evidence that the system improves care outcomes.
A Possible Signal Between Visits
Loneliness can be difficult for clinicians to identify during occasional appointments, particularly if an older adult does not raise the issue. A system that tracks behavior over time could, if testing supports it, give a care team another reason to check in between visits. That would make HomePal potentially relevant to families and health-care workers supporting older adults who live on their own.
The potential benefit remains conditional. Changes in sleep, movement, television use or phone calls can have many explanations, including illness, mobility changes, personal preference or changes in routine. A meaningful alert would need to prompt a conversation, not label someone as lonely. The study is examining associations between sensor readings and survey responses; it has not established that a particular pattern reliably identifies loneliness.
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How HomePal Collects Daily Patterns
The system uses motion and door sensors to record movement around the home, smart plugs attached to televisions to estimate screen time, and sleep sensors to track rest patterns. Smart speakers can contribute speech-related data, while phone-call patterns are intended to provide one measure of social contact. The researchers say these signals are being studied together rather than treated as conclusive evidence on their own.
The project brings together researchers in computer science and nursing. Former VCU School of Nursing professor Chung led the loneliness assessments used for comparison. In the study report, published in Assessment, the team describes developing an AI-enabled remote assessment system using behavioral and speech data from internet-connected sensors and smart speakers. The research is at a development and evaluation stage, not a report of an established commercial service.
The researchers’ longer-term aim is a system that could be installed in a home in a way similar to a security system and provide a daily loneliness score or trend for the individual or care team. That is a proposed future use, not a feature shown to be clinically reliable in the reported deployment.
““The main idea is to see whether everyday behavior at home can give early signs that an older adult may be experiencing loneliness or social withdrawal.””
— Mohamed Kamel, VCU doctoral student and study lead author
Accuracy and Privacy Still Under Study
The report does not provide a final accuracy result for HomePal’s AI model, nor does it establish which sensor patterns best correspond to loneliness assessments. It is also unclear how well results from 70 participants in metro Atlanta would apply to older adults in other settings or to people with different living arrangements and routines. The assessments and model comparisons are still ongoing.
Privacy and data access also remain design questions. The researchers say HomePal could be modified to use sensors that operate and store information on local networks, and that data-sharing settings could limit caregiver access. The report does not specify a finalized privacy configuration, retention policy or commercial product. Any future system would need to explain what it collects, who can view it and how a person can control access.
Researchers Continue Model Testing
The team plans to continue analyzing the home data, comparing it with biweekly loneliness assessments, and adjusting the sensors as it evaluates which signals may be useful. The next meaningful evidence will be whether the models can identify associations consistently and how accurately their results match the assessment process.
Researchers have said their aim is to develop a tool that can flag possible concerns for a patient or caregiver, not to replace personal conversations or clinical judgment. No release date or commercial launch has been reported. Until further validation is available, HomePal should be understood as a research prototype whose possible alerts would require human follow-up.
Key Questions
What is HomePal?
HomePal is a research prototype that combines home sensors and connected devices to collect information about routines such as movement, sleep, television use and phone calls. Researchers are testing whether those patterns relate to loneliness assessments.
Has HomePal been shown to diagnose loneliness?
No. The researchers say the system is intended to identify patterns that may merit follow-up, not to diagnose loneliness. Its model is still being evaluated against assessment results.
Who took part in the study?
The prototype was deployed for three months in the homes of 70 independently living adults aged 65 and older in metro Atlanta. The team plans to compare the sensor data with assessments conducted every two weeks.
What information does the system collect?
HomePal uses sensors and connected devices to measure or estimate movement, door activity, sleep, television use, speech-related data and phone-call patterns. The researchers say privacy options, including local data storage, could be explored; a final commercial setup has not been reported.
When could HomePal be available to caregivers?
No launch date has been announced. Researchers are still analyzing data and testing their models, so the system remains in development.
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