Marching Towards a Dark Future?

After hearing about a friends adventures in suffering a stroke
and considering just how someone who lives alone might be able
to summon emergency aid in such a case, I came to the entirely
depressing conclusion that the single best automated detection
system would be to autodial the paramedics if I fail to check
my email for more than six hours.

Current technology apparently consists of daily automated robo-calls.
I hope that by the time I need such watching there will be something
with a faster response time, and not so damn boring to listen to.
("Press one if you are still alive. Press two if you aren't.")

Alternatives include sensors for motion, toilet flush, heartbeat, body
temperature, crawling, bedfall, pets being fed, plants watered, etc --
although those last soon might well be automated to the point of not
requiring human intervention[1].

The question is just how well a smart house can learn its occupant's
habits and yank the lever when indicated.

Do I sense a business opportunity? [2]
- Brian

1. With home delivery of cat food, it's only necessary to train the driver
to drop the cans into the chute instead of leaving them on the porch.
The cats know how to open the bags of kittychow pellets already.
However, no automated catbox I've been able to find will operate
unattended for more than 1 cat-week.)

2. Or a need for stronger antidepressants?
.