Wearable device to assist independent living
McCrindle RJ., Williams VM., Victor CR., Harvey AP., Nyman SR., Barrett J., Hogarth H., Levene P., Smith R., Panek P., Edelmayer G., Mayer P., Needham P., Floratos N.
Older people increasingly want to remain living independently in their own homes. The aim of the ENABLE project is to develop a wearable device that can be used to support older people in their daily lives and which can monitor their health status, detect potential problems, provide activity reminders and offer communication and alarm services. In order to determine the specifications and functionality required for the development of the device, user surveys and focus groups were undertaken, use case analysis and scenario modeling carried out. The project has resulted in the development of a wrist-worn device and mobile phone combination that can support and assist older and vulnerable wearers with a range of activities and services both inside their home and as they move around their local environment. The device is currently undergoing pilot trials in five European countries. The aim of this paper is to describe the ENABLE device, its features and services, and the infrastructure within which it operates. © 2011 by Walter de Gruyter · Berlin · Boston.