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Dementia reduces a person's ability to simple daily tasks such as using the toilet and washing hands. This is because of related difficulties in remembering the proper sequence of events that must occur and how to use the required tools. Having a caregiver supervise activities and continually provide prompts can cause tension. Family caregivers can find assisting their loved ones to be particularly upsetting and embarrassing as it necessitates invasion of privacy and often role reversal.
In response to this growing problem, the University of Toronto's Dr. Alex Mihailidis has developed several prototypes that use robotics, mechanical engineering, artificial intelligence, voice recognition and computer programming to guide people with dementia through their daily activities. His "talking bathroom" uses an overhead camera to monitor people's movements as they stand at a sink to wash their hands. When the person hesitates, the camera feeds a message to a computer that offers verbal prompts such as "turn on the tap", "use soap", or "dry hands."
Similarly, a personal emergency response system uses a ceiling-mounted camera to track a person's movements in a room. Should the person fall, the system triggers a set of computerized responses - such as asking the person if he or she needs help.
The only hardware visible to the user is the single video camera mounted over the sink.
The system is called the COACH (Cognitive Orthosis for Assisting with aCtivites in the Home) Project. Dr. Mihailidis is adapting the prototypes for in-home use.
Read more about the COACH Project.
Share your thoughts about how this type of environment could help someone with dementia, or even recovering from stroke or brain injury, and help support caregivers.
