Connected strap to aid the elderly and reduce pressure on healthcare system
Using various means to monitor and help the elderly become more physically active is key to reducing the costs associated with their care. At present, physical activity has been identified as one of the three key health behaviours that have impact on the major chronic diseases of ageing. Middle-aged adults and the elderly represent the most inactive portion of the population despite the presence of available assistive solutions such as wearables. Why is this? Reports and research indicate that the elderly find current wearables unattractive. Where heritage meets innovation Coordinated by Polish company (Invis sp. z o.o) the Invis Care project is helping to solve this issue and entice the elderly into using wearables for activation and monitoring. It has developed an advanced wearable device that brings connectivity to the classic watch industry. The device connects the heritage of classic watches (that is, their design) with innovation. Piotr Muranty, Invis CEO and project coordinator adds: “End users can keep their watches that have sentimental value while using new technology.” The technology aims to help the elderly monitor activity, provide them with medication reminders and even detect falls. It will also be charged wirelessly. Learning lessons and facing challenges Phase one of the project helped Invis Care develop a deeper understanding of the psychological problems the elderly face using new technologies. The team also discovered the special relationship between grandparents and grandchildren and how it could be used to overcome technological barriers. Furthermore, the project highlighted how well informed the elderly are on privacy. In terms of obstacles, ensuring that the device was able to fit in a nice-looking watch strap was challenging. “For example, if we want to add fall detection, then we should add a pressure measurement. But this could make the strap too bulky,” explains Muranty. Furthermore, the inaccuracy of devices and software measuring steps for the elderly was a bigger problem than anticipated. The scale of error reached up to 40 %, so existing solutions could not be used. Instead, Invis Care decided to develop their own accelerator software. What’s next? The results of phase one ensured the feasibility of the concept and motivated Invis Care to look towards phase two. Muranty further explains: “For the current year we plan to commercialise our basic product, Invis Strap, which transfers modern technology associated with a smartwatch to the world of classic watches.” The user can avail of many modern functionalities while wearing their favourite Swiss watch. Also, in cooperation with Fidesmo and MasterCard, users can make contactless payments. The market debut of Invis Strap will also be an experience that will positively affect the preparation and implementation of Invis Care commercialisation and application for phase two of the SME Instrument. The project is also considering the possibility of launching a temporary electrocardiogram (ECG) measurement in their application to stage two. “Invis Care will provide users with the possibility of running a Heart Rate (HR) detection based on ECG signal acquired from two electrodes placed in a watch strap.” Patryk Lamprecht, Invis CTO, highlights.
Keywords
Invis Care, elderly, wearable, healthcare, classic watch, smartwatch, new technology, physical activity