According to market research firm Gartner, a modem home will have several hundred connected and smart objects by the end of 2022. The world is moving fast towards the era of total connectivity. Internet of Things is set to change and improve our lives. Old people are cardinal parts of our lives. In the bustling world of today, young people scarcely find any time to take care of the old people. In this article I will mention some of the IoT solutions that are promised to change and improve lives of seniors.
Garmin and Tactio Health Apps
Wearables giant Garmin and Tactio Health Group, have partnered in the telehealth sector to launch various hardware devices and apps to track and improve the lives and health conditions of thousands of chronically seniors around the world. These devices include glucometers, scales, blood pressure monitors and pulse oximeters. These devices are powered by health and tracking apps made by Tactio Health Group. These apps collect data and track lifestyles of patients. Tactio already had a vast database of people’s lifestyles. It was completely aware of the common problems faced by ill seniors. Based on this data, the apps generate recommendations and alerts, which help old people improve their routines. Garmin has also made a special wearable device for Seniors. It’s known as Vivo Fit. This wearable device also tracks health and activity. It is linked and synched with Gamin Connect software.
Howz App
IoT app Howz is an excellent app that takes care of the elderly people. The app does very important things which are a burden for old people, like turning on an off the kettle, keeping the temperature of the room ideal, opening and closing doors( with the mobile) and much more. The app also notifies the relatives of the main user (senior) so that they could keep a track of their beloved.
Canary
Canary is a first-of-a-kind product that learn the behavior of routine of the user and triggers warnings when those routines are disturbed. For example, if there is no activity around the sensors for a long time, Canary will validate the data with the normal routine of the senior user of the app and will trigger warning or alerts to other relatives. The app is quite easy to use and does not involve a lot of complex hardware.
Jibo The Family Robot
Meet Jibo, a tabletop device that is known as a ‘Family Robot. Jibo is the brainchild Cynthia Breazeal, a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Jibo can automatically perform most of the household tasks, making the lives of the elderly easier. It reminds children to tell their parents to take their medicines, schedules calls with the family, takes funny pictures and read stories.
Lively: Using Sensors to Track Daily Objects and Routines
Lively is a US-based Interne of Things company that uses sensors to keep track of the elderly. It uses sensors on different items like food, medication and household products to learn the routines, and trigger alerts and recommendations in case of violation of these routines. Lively suite includes sensors (attachable to different objects), a watch, and a hub, that could be connected to a power outlet.
