IBM and several European Union partners are developing new technology that will ease life for the aging by helping them to remember.
Based on intelligent audio and visual processing and reasoning, the HERMES Cognitive Care for Active Aging project will develop technology to help older people combat the natural reduction in cognitive capabilities. The three-year project will include both home-based and mobile technology and will focus especially on developing an interface acceptable even for technology-averse users.
"HERMES is helping realize the vision of lengthening the stage of independent living and helping aging populations remain active," explained Prof. Manfred Tscheligi, Director of CURE (Center for Usability Research & Engineering) and coordinator of the HERMES project. "Developing innovative yet non-intimidating technology to address the needs of this valuable population is a challenge that this community of researchers is eager to embrace."
The HERMES project will bring together experts ranging from gerontology and speech processing, to hardware integration and user-centered design to build a “home of the future” prototype. Technology will let users record conversations and experiences, thereby augmenting fading physical memory, and it will link the data.
For example, if George notices that the jar of coffee is almost finished, he can tell the system to add a reminder to buy coffee. The system will connect the words "coffee," "buy" and the name of the local store where George usually shops. When George passes the store and his mobile device notices the store location, the system will remind him to buy coffee using a text-to-speech synthesis in a human voice.