Category: Seniors

  • Kinect exercises to prevent senior falls

    Kinect exercises to prevent senior falls

    Emma Stanmore and colleagues at the University of Manchester have developed a series of Kinect based “Exergames” designed to reduce the likelihood of falls among seniors. The exercises run on MIRA Rehab’s  software platform and use the Kinect sensor to monitor body movements. They are individually programmed based on ability,fatigue, pain, and fear of falling.  …

  • Smartwatch keeps seniors independent

    Smartwatch keeps seniors independent

    The Fraunhofer Institute will release a smartwatch designed specifically for seniors.  It is programmed according to one’s needs and accessible to caregivers via a web portal.  The device assists wearers with their daily routine, but does not monitor health issues. The system reminds users to take medication with a vibration on one’s arm or a…

  • Electric stimulation headband tested for Alzheimer’s and MCI

    Electric stimulation headband tested for Alzheimer’s and MCI

    Ybrain is a wearable device that targets brain regions with electrical signals.  Two sensors are embedded in the front of a headband, providing stimulation for 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week, at home.  It is intended for both Alzheimer’s and Mild Cognitive Impairment patients.  The company has built a prototype and will begin…

  • Study:  Antidepressant may slow Alzheimer’s progression

    Study: Antidepressant may slow Alzheimer’s progression

    In a potential breakthrough, a study published yesterday in Science Translational Medicine shows the SSRI Celexa driving down beta amyloid production in both mice and humans.  The lead author is Professor Yvette Sheline from Washington University in St. Louis. Citalopram was found to reduce the concentration of beta-amyloid in the cerebrospinal fluid in non-Alzheimer’s patients by 38%. Researchers…

  • Robot and sensor system for seniors

    Robot and sensor system for seniors

    GiraffPlus is an integrated sensor and robot system aimed at keeping seniors healthy and independent in their own homes.  It is being developed by a consortium of European universities. The robot uses a Skype-like interface to allow caregivers to virtually visit seniors. Sensors on the ceiling, doors, and under the mattress help the system understand where the person…

  • Sensor shoe detects balance, attempts to improve gait

    Sensor shoe detects balance, attempts to improve gait

    B-Shoe  utilizes sensors and an embedded motion device to detect when a wearer loses balance. Using algorithms and a microprocessor, the motion device gently rolls the shoe backward until the person regains balance. The sensors ensure that the corrective action is taken only when needed.  The projected was crowdfunded on Indiegogo. It is based on the…

  • Crowdfunded virtual reality game engages dementia patients

    Crowdfunded virtual reality game engages dementia patients

    Pozible campaign Alzheimer’s Australia Vic‘s Microsoft Kinect sensor app places dementia patients inside a “virtual forest” where breezes blow, snow falls and butterflies fly in a peaceful but interactive environment.  The organization previously developed a virtual dementia simulator for teaching carers about the reality of living with dementia.  They believes that using game technology and…

  • Facial expression controlled ear computer/health monitor

    Facial expression controlled ear computer/health monitor

    AFP | Japan Times Kazuhiro Taniguchi of Hiroshima City University has developed a 17 gram “Earclip-type Wearable PC”  equipped with a GPS, compass, gyrosensor, battery, barometer, speaker and microphone.  A microchip and data storage enable users to load software.   The device is being tested now, with promising applications for the elderly and disabled. The system…

  • Brain scan for Alzheimer’s diagnosis

    http://www.imperial.nhs.uk/aboutus/news/news_042335 Tomorrow, London’s Imperial College will be the first to perform a brain scan which could lead to more accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. The test involves giving the patient a small amount of a radiopharmaceutical which binds to amyloid plaques, showing them in a brain scan. Amyloid plaques in the brain are…

  • Calico gathers top researchers to address aging and associated diseases

    http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/18/google-and-former-genentech-chief-announce-new-biotech-company/ https://plus.google.com/+LarryPage/posts/Lh8SKC6sED1 Calico, announced in September by Larry Page, is on a mission to extend the human life span and will “help prevent many diseases and have a greater impact on public health than drugs that target individual diseases.”   Its CEO, Arthur Levinson, has made several high profile hires, expected to begin work in San Francisco…

  • NEC’s PaPeRo Petit robot uses third party apps to monitor seniors at home

    http://jpn.nec.com/press/201311/20131111_01.html NEC has introduced the PaPeRo Petit robot, which is about half the size of earlier PaPeRo senior companions, and a cloud computing system for services using the new robot.  PaPeRo Petit combines multiple sensors (cameras, ultrasonic range finders, temperature sensor, and microphones) to detect people and look in their direction even in complete darkness.  It…

  • Ambient Assisted Living system monitors senior health at home

    http://www.theengineer.co.uk/medical-and-healthcare/news/wireless-system-provides-ambient-health-monitoring-of-elderly/1017120.article One outcome of the EU’s support of Ambiant Assistant Living is the following multi-bio-marker home monitoring device which continuously monitors glucose, cholesterol and blood oxygen levels.  It is expected that several similar monitors will be introduced in the near future, enabling seniors to better manage various diseases at home. Fraunhofer FIT has developed an…