Seoul Gazette - CES tech looks to help world's aging population

"Age Tech" was on display at the Consumer Electronics Show on Wednesday as entrepreneurs take on challenges that come with getting older.

"There's a huge interest among older Americans who want to integrate these technologies into their plans to age in their homes," said Patty David, vice president of consumer insights at AARP, an interest group devoted to retirees in the United States.

The US market for tech tailored for those 50 years of age or older is projected to reach $120 billion by 2030, according to Davis.

AARP was on the CES show floor with a group of entrepreneurs in the sector.

The proportion of the world's population over the age of 65 is growing faster than the number of those on the younger side of that number, according to United Nations data.

"For senior care, one of the big barriers is just accessing care," said Starling Medical chief executive Hannah McKenney, who was at CES with a device that affixes in a toilet to automatically check pee for urinary tract infections.

"If you're able to seamlessly track their sleep schedule, their eating, their movements, their urinalysis, you can intervene a lot sooner and get them the care that they need."

Urinary tract infections are a common cause of urgent care visits and even of elderly people winding up in senior care facilities, McKenney said.

- Aging at home -

Nearly 90 percent of older adults in the US think it is important to age at home, while just about as many also have worries regarding being able to do that, research released Wednesday by the AARP and CES organizers showed.

Gadgets that watch for falls, keep people company, or make sure medicine is taken can help older people live longer and independently.

Top technologies being eyed by the older crowd in the US are connected medical alert devices, digital blood pressure monitors, electric wheelchairs, indoor security cameras, and gadgets for remembering to take medicines, according to AARP research.

- Canine companions -

Tom Stevens, founder and CEO of a company called Tombot, which makes robotic animals, said he was motivated to be part of the solution after the heartbreaking experience of taking away his mother's dog when she was diagnosed with dementia.

"I looked around for substitutes for live animal companions, but she didn’t like anything that I brought home," Stevens said.

He was at CES with a Tombot robot dog, based on a Labrador Retriever puppy, that wags its tail, barks and even falls asleep. It is designed to be a soothing, low-maintenance companion.

Stevens plans to make a robot cat for feline lovers.

"The reactions are smiles and a desire to be near it and take care of it and care about its wellbeing despite the fact that they understand it’s a robot and not a real animal," Stevens said of the robot pup.

- AI lipstick help -

Age tech is also seeking to boost people's self-esteem, with Brazil-based beauty giant Grupo Boticario demonstrating a prototype "Smart Lipstick" system that employs artificial intelligence to apply lipstick tastefully.

As people get older, their vision tends to fade and hands can grow less steady, resulting in makeup mishaps.

"We believe that beauty is for all, and this is what we are trying to do with this kind of technology," Boticario research scientist Milene Haraguchi Padilha said during a demonstration.

"This is really good for self-esteem; the feedback we get brings tears to our eyes."

Despite the desire and need for senior tech, people who didn't grow up in the internet age can find it daunting, the AARP report indicated.

"There are some hesitancies in adoption, including price, ease of use, and data security," said David, who authored the report.

Y.Ko--SG