There’s something about AgeTech
How can we picture tech for elders exploring future CES 2020.
- More than 1% of 4500 exhibitors have solutions for elders.
- Monitoring systems, another monitoring systems and more monitoring — big AgeTech trend for now.
- Interesting innovations outside of US — Israel, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, HK, few from EU.
As the biggest consumer electronics show in the world CES is good for those who wants to feel AgeTech trends. Yes, CES is not specialized on this segment, but for overview of the market it’s a start. Moreover, because the show will take place in January we can look at the future now.
Even in our modest AgeTech database there are more then 1000 solutions, so CES doesn’t impress with the numbers. We managed to find 50+ dedicated exhibitors, and the number will grow with more announcements closer to the show date. For example, as CES media team informed us, soon CTA Foundation will select 5 companies to receive a free booth in Eureka Park based on their technologies that can benefit older adults and people with disabilities. Meanwhile, there’s no special AgeTech tag for now at the show, so if you want to find something relevant, you should look through all of categories. But people from CES also told us that they “works to identify exhibitors highlighting technology for older adults”, so there’s a hope.
Monitoring
AgeTech as we see it is rather big segment spreading from cognitive care apps to chatbots for elder care and from robot companions to smart mobility. But at CES you could get impression that the main aim of the modern technology is to monitor elders. The ideal for such systems is wide set of sensors — from positioning to bio — in different forms. The sensors provide data for AI/ML-powered processing, so the system, connected with all the interested parties and data sources, can, well, monitor the state of the elder, get patterns, alert about incidents and deviations or even predict them. With different tech in use solutions have some distinctions, so here are examples.
CarePredict is focused on specialized wearable, which use sensors, indoor location data, machine learning, and sophisticated gesture recognition algorithms, and marketed it as a way to “predict and prevent”. Israeli Kytera is positioning its solution as remote elderly caregiver for aging-at-home. Their system consists of wristband with emergency button, positioning sensors and Wi-Fi cellular base unit. Essence is from Israel too, but this company is declaring development of platform for independent living, including PERS, voice assistants, fall detection 3d imaging sensors etc.
Sensorscall’s system is working without wearables — its device is set of sensors (motion, temperature etc.) plugged in wall outlet. Vayyar (Israel) as developer of 4D imaging sensor capable to detect and track location, movement, presence, position and vital signs is made their device for elders right on that sensor. Swiss Caru call its device “smart sensor”, but there could be seen focus on good design and communications between elders and their relatives/caregivers.
Televes is good example of company from developed industry (telecommunications) entering AgeTech sector with another “comprehensive” system based on behavioral, medical, security sensors. Z-Works (Japan) using Z-wave as communication protocol for its family of sensors and put more emphasis on cloud component of the system. Different approach to monitoring is presented by Origin Wireless. In this case the company use WiFi signals interaction with the elder for the usual set of localization, fall detection, sleep monitoring and other purposes.
Last one to mention (but not last monitoring solution on CES) is elder robot by Industrial Technology Research Institute (Taiwan). This device combines analyzing data through image and video recognition with integration of social and entertainment activities.
More experience and more competition in this segment is very useful for AgeTech market and for improving quality of life of older adults, but monitoring startups and companies should solve some issues, including positioning (care providers/private customers), integration with other systems (from smart homes to smart watches to health records and care management systems) and more friendly pricing. .
Vision, glucose and balance
Another group of exhibitors at CES is helping elders with solving different health problems. Big part is dedicated to help with low vision. Vispero has compact digital magnifier and electronic Braille display. Orcam’s wearable device clipping on glasses is capable of reading text, including barcodes or products information, and face recognition. Sensible Innovations’s wayfinding app provide audio navigational directions and location descriptions both indoors and outdoors and use iBeacons. Access Exporer’s app is working the similar way, but focusing on venues so its app help to navigate through a venue and easily locate entrances, elevators, restrooms and other points of interest. EyeQue offer set of digital devices like opthalmic refractometer for smartphone which could be used for home vision checking. There is also choice of hearing aid solutions at the show.
The diabetes problem of elderly is dictating demand for glucose monitoring solutions. Life Plus has wearable for continuous glucose measuring using non-invasive optical signal. Add Care (HK) is also presenting similar smart wristband, while Spectrum Resources (HK) device use infrared sensors and “a revised heat transmission method”.
The falls and their consequences for older adults are among the challenges for AgeTech too. South Korean Welt pivoted smart belt to fall prevention. Belt sensors are used for analyzing walking pattern, so the app can detect sarcopenic patients who are bound to higher fall risks. Zibrio’s solution is smart scale for balance monitoring working together with app aiming to improve balance. French LiveStep use sensors in insoles that can detect fall, provide contextual information for a better analysis, and monitor walk activity for prevention purposes.
Tech could help in daily life of elders in such area as physiologic functions. Smardii solutions is also about monitoring, but in this case sensors put in diapers, so the device can detect urine, stool, temperature, body positioning, and run a real-time urinalysis. Triple W (Japan)“diaper-free” device use ultrasound to monitor the bladder, send notification to user or to a caregiver when it’s time to go to toilet. South Korean Curaco developed wearable toilet or smart bidet, and declared that the device eliminates the need for adult diapers or pads with numerous patented technologies and functions.
And there’s more
Mobility for elders is presented by Whill’s smart electric wheelchair. There’s also smart companion installed at wheelchair or bedside by Loro. The device equipped with 360 rotation camera, eye tracking, hand gesture and voice assistant technologies. Talking about companions — Intuition Robotics exhibit its Q cognitive AI platform for own companion device and third party manufacturers.
Medicine dispensers is not trendy at CES — just note that there’s renamed Pillo (now Pria) by Black+Decker. Not too much of physiotherapy and rehab solutions for elders could be found. Exosystems (South Korea) provides wearable placed near a knee for therapeutic neuromuscular electrical stimulation and app for muscle trainings.
Elders could also benefit from such products as smart glasses by Human Capable — light AR glasses with voice recognition, speakers, camera and display, meditation trainer from Core and numerous cheap GPS trackers, ECG wearables and other gadgets from Asian vendors. On the other side the show lack of communication and entertainment solutions for older adults, gadgets with elder-centered UX/UI.
There’s no Apple at CES, but there are such consumer electronic giants as Samsung, LG, Sony, Philips and tech monsters like Amazon, Google, Microsoft. So innovative elder-oriented smart watches and smart home systems, age-friendly solutions from Google + FitBit, some news for elders from Amazon’s drive to healthcare would be nice to see. AARP is also presented at CES and as the association is very active in AgeTech area it’s the exhibitor worth to visit too.
Why should AgeTech startup participate in CES?!
Andreas Husi, Caru AG:
For us, CES offers a good opportunity to present to an international audience. We have already gained a lot of experience in German-speaking countries. Now we are looking forward to the feedback from international experts and visitors to the fair. What questions do they ask? What do they like about CARU? What needs to be adjusted. But honestly we are curious ourselves about what to expect, but in the end it will be another opportunity for us to present our device and to learn from the experience. Despite that, in order to get the most out of the trip to Las Vegas, we have already organized some appointments at senior homes and with retirement home managers to see, hear and learn from their experiences.
More AgeTech news in Vozrastech’s Twitter.
