A REMIND-AND-GUIDE PROSTHETIC TO INCREASE INDEPENDENCE

AugmenTech，Inc.开发了一种提醒和引导设备，它可以口头地 提醒某人要完成的任务，引导他到达现场 以便完成任务，并可以创建电子记录 人的移动。它可以选择性地将用户引导到Lost或 根据需要忘记的对象和位置，或提示用户使用其 预定时间内的地点和目的。便携式原型机 开发了帮助有能力的人进行职业康复的设备 体格健全的智障青年。我们的SBIR研究建议是 重新设计这项技术，作为老年人的认知假体 有阿尔茨海默病(AD)和其他痴呆早期症状的人 与年龄相关的。便携式电子日记和计算器风格 为商业用途设计的备忘录/警报设备还没有被发现非常 对AD客户端很有帮助，因为它们的使用不够直观。 类似地，商业对象定位器系统要么过于有限 人体工程学难于使用(如按键寻呼机)或对AD来说太难 让客户学会使用(库存控制系统)。自从我们的提醒-和- 引导系统旨在为普通用户提供连续的语音提示 活动，我们很可能会成功地重新设计我们的 该产品适用于患有轻度痴呆症的AD患者的特殊需求 保持独立的时间更长。与我们的临床顾问一起，我们将评估 大量符合人体工程学和认知的界面修改，使我们的 有效提高早期AD患者治疗能力的产品 安全、独立的活动。

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.