More on Technology

It seems every few days (or maybe even more frequently) there is a story about a new tech device that can benefit elders. Here are a few that caught my eye (and I must confess I want each of them)

1. The personal care robot. Asus a few weeks back announced their robot, Zenbo. This entry into the personal robot field is a talking robot.  Although not yet available, seems reasonably priced and has an “elder tech” application:

A big part of the pitch is caring for the elderly, which could be especially popular in nearby Japan, which is struggling with an aging population. Zenbo “helps to bridge the digital divide between generations” by allowing seniors to make video calls and use social networking with simple voice commands, Asus said.

It can also connect to a smart bracelet and alert relatives via smartphone app if their elderly relative has a fall.

A video of the robot in action is available here.

2.  Self-driving cars. I saw a June 5, 2016 On Assignment episode on self-driving cars, Hands Off,  that was quite interesting. When looking for that episode on the web, I ran into this June 5, 2016 article on Forbes about self-driving cars. Consumer Interest In Self-Driving Cars Increasing reports on a recent study regarding self-driving cars, noting that more folks are becoming aware of the technology. So will self-driving cars have an elder-tech application?   The respondents in the study thought this

Big Benefit for the Physically Impaired and Elderly There is a strong belief that a part of the population who will benefit most from self-driving cars are people who are physically impaired. About 70% of the respondents believe autonomous vehicles will provide on-demand mobility for the elderly and handicapped.

I think we can all imagine how self-driving cars have an “elder-tech” application but unlike a car driven by a human, I’m pretty sure the autonomous vehicles won’t be able to help the elder in or out of the vehicle, or load her packages. (Maybe that will be in the next iteration…)  That doesn’t mean I don’t want one!

3. Smart Homes: Then there is this on the “smart home” front (I want one of those as well). With the changes in leadership at Nest, the Washington Post ran this article Why smart homes are still so dumb.  One thought from the article that struck me is the high-tech v. low-tech hurdle.  A survey reported in the story mentioned that some folks thought it too difficult to get everything set up when the low tech alternative is so much easier (think flipping on a light switch easy). 

4. More on wearables:  5 ways wearables will transform the lives of the elderly covers wearables that focus on, among other things, safety, wandering and falls.

The next few years promise to provide incredible advancements in elder tech world. But there is still an irreplaceable value from human interactions.