Visable light Minder/Guider System for Elderly (ESCORT)

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DESCRIPTION(provided by the applicant): This Phase II SBIR project will develop and qualify a new assistive technology to aid persons who suffer from Alzheimer's disease or other dementias of aging. The Visible Light Minder System celled ESCORT(tm) tracks the patient indoors and provides location information to a central server and to caregivers. The system identifies hazardous areas and situations and alerts caregivers. The patient can be given personal audio directions or guidance by ESCORT. The system will enhance patient freedom, independence and safety, assume some workload of family members and caregivers, reduce cost of patient care and enable patients to remain at home longer and delay institutionalization. Talking Lights optical transmitters and receivers will provide location information to the network, with modified, non-flickering room illumination used to provide location. The primary data carder will be a standard RF wireless network which will be made context-aware through illumination location. Phase I demonstrated the concept of ESCORT in the laboratory and in limited patient trials. ESCORT will be demonstrated and qualified with patients in assisted living and in at home settings and the improvement in care evaluated and quantitatively measured both with minder and with minder/guider functions. Other application areas for Talking Lights technology include hospitals, schools, retail stores, trade shows, museums and other facilities. Hardware developed will include compact fluorescent light transmitters, and a wearable receiver to give precise location information to the user's computer. Software developed will allow track patients, assess their location and travel, provide alerts to caregivers and give audio guidance to patients.