Elderly -- Engadget

elderly posts

Valerie Singleton wants more Facebook friends, promotes Linux for the elderly

by Vladislav Savov posted Nov 11th 2009 at 6:41AM

We're not really sure whether to consider this patronizing or genuinely useful. Former Blue Peter presenter Valerie Singleton, who is herself at an advanced age now, has partnered with Wessex Computers to create a custom Linux desktop targeted at easing the elderly into the use of a computer. Dubbed SimplicITy (the Brits do love their puns), it features only six chunky buttons that lead to a web or file browser, chat, email and profile apps, and awesomely enough, video tutorials from Valerie herself. Once you get your web-legs under you and feel confident enough to handle more complexity, you can disable the SimplicITy desktop and use a more conventional Linux distro. Hit the read link for a video of one lady's reaction to the software.

Fujitsu goes multitouch with a bevy of Windows 7 machines (video)

by Vladislav Savov posted Oct 13th 2009 at 9:46AM

Not that there's any shortage of choice in the touchscreen all-in-one space, but Fujitsu seems keen on covering all the bases with its latest product unveiling. The headline F series (pictured) will be powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 processor, which represents 2.53GHz of ultra-efficient and plenty capable laptop hardware, and 4GB of RAM. Machines can be had in 23- or 20-inch varieties, with respective resolutions of 1920 x 1080 and 1600 x 900. There's also the MT series of 12.1-inch convertible tablets, which come with WACOM functionality and up to an SU9400 Intel CPU. Perhaps the most esoteric new offerings, however, are the NF/ER (laptops) and F/ER (desktops), which combine the hip new multitouch skills with specially designed keyboard and mouse inputs, as well as a support hotline, all in the name of getting the older generation in on the computing craze. Video lies after the break, or check out the Akihabara News link below for a full gallery of images.

[Via Akihabara News]

Gallery: Fujitsu goes multitouch with a bevy of Windows 7 machines

Continue reading Fujitsu goes multitouch with a bevy of Windows 7 machines (video)

Video: Taizo the robot teaches grandpa how to stretch, so you don't have to

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Sep 13th 2009 at 7:24AM

You know, maybe we were wrong-headed to keep harping on this 'evil robot' meme. Sure, there are some no-goodniks in the robot community (as opposed to the robotics community, which we assure you is full of hard-working, well-meaning people) but look at all the good robots have done for us: they build our cars, serve us hot drinks, teach our young children, and now they help our oldsters with the physical therapy. Taizo, pictured here, is a delightful chap with a bulbous visage and a fun, plushy space suit who stands just over 24-inches tall and weighs 15.5 pounds. Operating for about two hours on a single charge, the robot is designed to lead low-impact group exercise (mostly while sitting down) and features voice recognition and a library of thirty different exercises. With 26 joints in its body, it's a flexible fellow, for sure. We just hope that no one weaponizes the thing. Video after the break.

Gallery: Taizo the robot teaches grandpa how to stretch

[Via Engadget German]

Continue reading Video: Taizo the robot teaches grandpa how to stretch, so you don't have to

Ask Engadget: Good input device(s) and user interfaces for the 'over 80 crowd?'

by Darren Murph posted Aug 20th 2009 at 9:03PM

We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget question is coming to us from a very concerned Mike, who is hoping to give his grandmother a way to properly interact with a laptop.

"I am trying to configure out a really dumbed down and intuitive PC for my grandmother. She recently had a stroke and while she is under my care I would like to repurpose a laptop for her to surf and email her children. Anyone have any experience with what input devices and UI's are really understandable for the over 80 crowd?"

We know this is a bit "out there" for Ask Engadget, but we get the feeling Mike isn't alone here. Anyone have any experience with unorthodox input devices and UIs designed for those with limited mobility and / or weakened vision? Spill the goods in comments below!

Researchers advance remote monitoring systems for the elderly

by Darren Murph posted Oct 15th 2008 at 3:15PM

Assistive technologies are old hat, but a team of researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington (among other institutions) is working to provide a more robust, all-inclusive option for elderly individuals who'd prefer to age gracefully within their own domiciles. In theory, sensors could be embedded throughout seniors' homes in order to "detect when the residents have sleepless nights or forget to take their medication." From there, caregivers would be alerted and could react remotely via a web-based communications portal. The UTA lab that's perfecting the idea currently utilizes a single room equipped with cameras, motion detectors and robots, and professors / students keep a close eye on any movement that gets recorded and transferring to computers for processing. If all goes well, a collaboratively built "home of the future" will actually be on display at CES 2009, likely showcasing some of these very advancements.

[Image courtesy of Michael Mulvey / DMN, thanks Travis]

Wearable airbags keep the elderly from hitting the ground so hard

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Sep 24th 2008 at 11:38PM

Elderly? Enfeebled? Just plain clumsy? Tokyo-based Prop has your back. Its newly announced personal, wearable airbag looks like a cool fanny-pack and weighs a mere 1.1 kilograms (2.4 pounds) -- but springs forth in one-tenth of a second when sensors detect you're headed for the floor, protecting your head and ass with two inflated bags that contain 3.9 gallons of gas each. Similar to the various airbag-equipped suits already used by some motorcyclists, the airbag is yours for a cool ¥148,000 ($1,400). Or you could just not fall down.

[Thanks, Steve]

GM designing car windshield that does the looking for us

by Darren Murph posted Jul 18th 2008 at 5:10PM

Apparently not everyone at General Motors is toiling away in an attempt to get the Volt ready for its 2010 debut, as another sector of the outfit's R&D division is busy creating a windshield that will, at its core, enable us to stop running stuff over. The futuristic glass would utilize lasers, sensors and cameras in order to help drivers see the road's edge better, recognize obstructions and enhance things ahead of us so we'll theoretically react faster. Truth be told, the device is being designed with older drivers in mind, though we don't see why younger motorists won't benefit all the same. Unfortunately, it sounds as if you'll have to keep those toothpicks in your eyelids for a few more years, but at least we're one step closer to full-on autopilot.

Oversized keyboard cranks up the font size on keys

by Darren Murph posted Jun 23rd 2008 at 9:38AM

If you're the type who just can't view a website without slamming the Control key and flinging that scroll wheel down (or up, we suppose) in order to gigantify the on-screen text, this here keyboard has your name written all over it. Offered up at Taylor Gifts, this unit actually doesn't seem much / any larger than your average KB, but each key sports a relatively prominent letter that aims to make typing much easier for the visually impaired. You can order yours now for $19.98.

[Via The Red Ferret Journal]

Microsoft developing ad-funded, senior PCs in UK

by Darren Murph posted Apr 30th 2008 at 10:10AM

The geriatric set most definitely has plenty of cellphones catered to them, but finding a computer that's equally simple to operate isn't nearly as easy. According to a BBC report stemming from a Digital Inclusion conference in London, Microsoft UK is aiming to develop a "senior PC" which will feature a simplistic interface and come tweaked to handle tasks such as managing prescriptions and photos. The outfit is teaming up with charities Age Concern and Help the Aged, and it's just one of the many projects meant to tackle the issue of "digitally excluding" millions of citizens. Additionally, Microsoft is working up an "ad-funded PC" that would come preloaded with a step-by-step guide to get online, remain safe, perform "simple computer tasks" and, of course, fire up Doom. Just kidding about that last part... maybe.

Think tank envisions robots filling jobs en masse in Japan

by Darren Murph posted Apr 9th 2008 at 5:38PM

We've known think tanks to come up with some fairly unbelievable determinations before, but the Machine Industry Memorial Foundation may not be too far off with its latest assessment. It's suggesting that the jobs of 3.5 million people in Japan could be filled not with younger folks, but with mechanical creatures by 2025. Currently, Japan's population is declining, and the proportion of those 65-years and up is continually swelling; analysts are asserting that the nation could save around ¥2.1 trillion ($21 billion) in elderly insurance payments by 2025 if it relies on robots (instead of humans) to monitor the health of the geriatric set. Of course, Japan's been creating bots to do our dirty work for years, so it's not like the idea of being ruled by robotic overlords is a completely foreign concept over there or anything.

[Via I4U News]

GPS-equipped walkers promise to keep elderly patients on track

by Donald Melanson posted Feb 28th 2008 at 3:21PM

We've already seen GPS used to track elderly patients, but some student researchers now look to be taking the idea one step further, with them outfitting some nursing center patients' walkers with a GPS system that helps guide them around. While the exact technical details are a bit unclear, the system apparently uses GPS when the patients are out and about, and relies on a WiFi-based system to direct 'em around inside the nursing center itself. The entire system has also obviously been about as simplified as possible, with it boasting just five buttons and large arrows pointing the way to the patients' destination. As a student project, however, it's still quite a ways from gaining any widespread use, although it has apparently been at use at the one nursing center their testing it at for several months already. Let's just hope folks don't take to relying on it too much -- we all know where that can lead.

[Thanks, Jack]

iPods won't crash your pacemaker says the FDA

by Joshua Topolsky posted Feb 1st 2008 at 1:49PM

It turns out that 17-year-olds probably aren't that good at studying electrical interference -- and its effect on pacemakers -- created by iPods. Unlike the data presented to the Heart Rhythm Society last year by a high-school student, which demonstrated the music player's ability to interfere with heart-regulating devices, the FDA now says that the gadgets are completely safe for use. Researchers measured magnetic fields produced by four different models of Apple's ubiquitous device, and found no reason why your grandmother can't keep jamming to her South of Heaven reissue. Said FDA researcher Howard Bassen, "Based on the observations of our in-vitro study we conclude that no interference effects can occur in pacemakers exposed to the iPods we tested." We hope the FDA will follow this up with a definitive study on the effects of boomboxes on hip implants.

Wii bowler beats real bowler in senior videogame tourney

by Evan Blass posted Dec 26th 2007 at 1:38PM

Proving once again that athleticism and real-world experience have little bearing on the outcome of Wii Sports matches, a 79-year-old bowler was defeated by an 84-year-old who'd only recently picked up the game -- virtually -- in their retirement community's latest Nintendo tournament. Obviously a popular pastime among the senior crowd, playing Wii has gotten so big at the 3000-resident Riderwood complex in Montgomery County, Maryland that semi-regular tournies are held in the various events, with underdog Nancy Davies (not pictured) upsetting previous champ Hal Winters (also not pictured) in the most recent excitement-filled Bowling final. When asked to comment on the 202 to 182 stunner, the few other folks who were both awake at the time and able to remember the action agreed that the match was surely one for the record books.

[Via TG Daily]

4HomeMedia's HealthPoint 1500 provides remote health monitoring

by Darren Murph posted Nov 13th 2007 at 7:35PM

There's not a lot to go on just yet, but 4HomeMedia looks to be invading the ever-expanding home healthcare industry with the HealthPoint 1500. Dubbed an open-standards home health hub, the device reportedly provides remote health monitoring, offers up "in-home benefits" for elders and keeps friends, family and caregivers connected via a fully customizable Health Portal. Unfortunately, there's not a lot of details beyond that, but stay tuned for further developments.

Japanese seniors shun their robotic overlords

by Joshua Topolsky posted Sep 20th 2007 at 11:14AM

According to reports out of Tokyo, Japanese senior citizens are being turned off when robots get switched on. Ifbot, a helper-robot at a Japanese nursing home which can converse, sing, express emotions, quiz seniors, and perform mercy killings (okay, that last one isn't true), has apparently not been a hit with the elderly residents. "The residents liked Ifbot for about a month before they lost interest," says Yasuko Sawada, the Kyoto-based facility's director, adding, "Stuffed animals are more popular." The news backs up what University of Tokyo geriatric social worker Ruth Campbell says, "Most (elderly) people are not interested in robots. They see robots as overly-complicated and unpractical." Apparently, Japanese electronics-makers have been scrambling to produce robotic assistants for the nation's elderly (which will make up 40-percent of its population by mid-century), but the seniors have been shunning the overly complex companions. This comes as no surprise to us, of course, as our grandparents have been complaining about the "picture radio" for decades.