Among the advancements on display were tiny motion sensors that detect movement. When embedded in a home or an apartment, the sensors can track movement – for example, excessive movement during the night that could indicate some kind of health issue. Caregivers and researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia are studying data collected from 15 residents at the University's Tiger Place apartment complex to see if changes in behavior could indicate a medical problem.

For one woman – Eva Olweean – tiny sensors in her bathroom and inside her mattress showed that she was having more restless nights than normal. Her nurses determined that she was experiencing excessive bloating, a common symptom of congestive heart failure. With diuretics and other adjustments to her medication, Ms. Olweean began sleeping soundly again.