With artificial intelligence to detect falls, virtual reality (VR) to combat isolation and “powered” clothing to assist the incapacitated, the tech world is stepping up its efforts to “disrupt” aging.
At the CES gadget show in Las Vegas this week, exhibitors were showcasing new ways to help the elderly remain independent, mentally fit and connected.
Some systems took a page from the gaming world of youngsters to help seniors “travel” to new places and connect with loved ones.
“Everyone knows seniors get lonely, but that isolation can also lead to a lot of medical problems, including the acceleration of dementia,” said Kyle Rand, founder and chief executive officer of Rendever, a start-up that works with assisted living homes to give seniors a way to virtually visit remote locations.
“They can stand atop the Eiffel Tower, they can go on an African safari, or revisit their childhood home,” Rand said.
Rendever was launched in the Washington tech incubator created by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), which has in recent years been funding efforts to develop new technologies for seniors.
In the consumer space from the AARP incubator, Alcove VR enables seniors to be part of a virtual world with loved ones who might be far away.
“You can step into a virtual living room with a friend or family member and just hang out,” said Cezara Windrem, the AARP product manager for Alcove.
Alcove was launched this week as a free application on Oculus, the Facebook Inc-owned VR unit.
The AARP exhibit also included VRHealth, which offers cognitive behavioral therapy using virtual reality, and Pillo, a device that serves as a personal assistant and medication dispenser focused on health for seniors.
Other exhibitors showcased technology that could help seniors remain in their homes, and give family members peace of mind by monitoring their condition, in some cases using predictive analytics to determine if they are at risk.
Walabot, a wall-mounted monitoring system developed by the Israeli start-up Vayyar Imaging Ltd, uses radio waves and three-dimensional imaging to keep tabs on seniors living alone.
“You don’t need to wear anything, there are no cameras,” Vayyar head of business development Ofer Familier said.
The company said Walabot can detect subtle changes in gait, movement or breathing that could signal a risk of a fall or other problem.
Also launched at CES was the Addison Virtual Caregiver, a video-based assistant with a female avatar that can converse, offer reminders on medication and detect potential health issues.
With the data gathered from the device, “we can predict the rate of functional decline,” said David Keeley, research director for Addison parent firm SameDay Security.
Alicia Mangram, a Phoenix-based trauma surgeon who is an adviser to Addison, said the system can be useful in helping seniors remain independent.
“Right now when we send people home [from a hospital] we don’t know what happens to them,” Mangram said. “This allows us to check on them.”
For those with mobility issues, the California start-up Seismic unveiled its wearable tech body suit that can augment a user’s muscles and help them maintain posture.
The “core wellness suit,” which weighs less than 2.27kg and can be worn under a person’s clothes, has robotic components that provide up to 30 watts of power to each hip and the lower back to support sitting, standing, lifting or carrying.
Seismic vice president Sarah Thomas said the new product is designed not only for the elderly, but for factory workers to ease fatigue and anyone with mobility issues.
Tech products for seniors should not be “stigmatized” with unsightly products, Thomas told a CES panel.
“We should be designing with age in mind, but without the ageist perspective,” she said.
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