A REMIND-AND-GUIDE PROSTHETIC TO INCREASE INDEPENDENCE

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AugmenTech, Inc. has developed a remind-and-guide device which verbally reminds a person about tasks to be done, guides the person to the locale for the task to be done, and can create an electronic record of the movement of the person. It can either selectively guide a user to lost or forgotten objects and locations on demand, or cue the user to their location and purpose at pre-specified times. The prototype portable devices were developed to assist in the vocational rehabilitation of able- bodied young adults with mental retardation. Our SBIR research proposal is to redesign this technology to serve as a cognitive prosthetic to older people with early symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and other dementias associated with age. Portable electronic diaries and calculator-style memo/alarm devices designed for business use have not been found to be very helpful for AD clients because their use is not sufficiently intuitive. Similarly, commercial object locator systems either have been too limited and ergonomically difficult to use (eg key-beepers) or too difficult for AD clients to learn to use (inventory control systems). Since our remind-and- guide system was designed to provide sequential speech cues for ordinary activities, it is very likely that we will be successful in redesigning our product for the special needs of AD clients with mild dementia who wish to remain independent longer. With our clinical consultants, we will evaluate a number of ergonomic and cognitive interface modifications to make our product effective for increasing the capacity of early AD patients for safe, independent activity.