Computer scientists and human factors psychologists from Georgia Tech University created a ‘technology coach’. This is a program on the computer that makes it easy for the elderly to do hard tasks such as taking their glucose level. Technology coach breaks down the hard multi step task and turns it into a simple and quick task for people who cannot remember or do not have the ability to do it the other way. Brian Jones, a computer researcher at Georgia Tech, said “on the box it says it’s easy as 1-2-3 but when you fold out the list of instructions, it’s actually 53 steps” (Science Daily). How does the ‘technology coach’ work? The technology coach uses optical sensors on an overhead camera so it can tell if the person picks up the wrong bottle or is doing to steps out of order. The computer program then shows the problem and how to fix it right away.
Another program they have created is a program to help people to remember to take their medications. It is still in the process of being perfected but it is called ‘memory mirror’. Memory mirror allows people to monitor what medications they have already taken and what they have not through radio frequency barcodes. The barcodes keep track of what time and what medication is taken. The one major downfall of this program is that it does not force them to take the medication so it still needs to be modified.
Watch the video on how the system works here:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2007/1102-digital_grandparents.htm
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