Multi-channel sensing system with embedded processing

A parametric sensor network system comprising:

• a plurality of embedded sensing devices, each including:
• a plurality of sensors, including at least one imaging sensor, at least one depth sensor or distance sensor, and at least one audio sensor, the plurality of sensors configured to generate at least audio, image and video data;
• and
• a data processing unit connected to and receiving the audio, image and video data from the plurality of sensors, the data processing unit including one or more processors, the data processing unit implementing an object detection algorithm to detect presence and locations of objects and humans, the data processing unit further implementing a human identification algorithm for identifying at least one specific human based on the audio and video data received from the sensors,
• wherein the data processing unit generates parametric data based on the data received from the sensors using the object detection algorithm, wherein the parametric data include the identification and location of the specific human;
• and
• a controller connected to and receiving data from each of the plurality of embedded sensing devices;
• and
• a plurality of actuators coupled to the controller;
• wherein each embedded sensing device outputs only the parametric data, which include the identification and location of the specific human, to the controller without automatically outputting any video, image or audio data generated by the sensors to the controller;
• and
• wherein the parametric data generated by the data processing unit and outputted by the embedded sensing devices further include parameters describing a room type of a room, furniture and space utilization of the room, locations of indoor objects in the room, ambient light, occupancy, numbers of humans, a length of stay by the specific human, postures and gesture of the specific human, motions of the specific human, sound and voice of the specific human, a location of the specific human relative to the indoor objects, activities of the specific human in relation to the indoor objects, temporal length and frequency of the activities of the specific human, a journal of daily activities of the specific human, behaviors of the specific human, and a flag which indicates whether the behaviors of the specific human is normal or abnormal,
• wherein the controller generates commands for controlling the actuators based on the parametric data received from the plurality of embedded sensing devices.