Memory-Assistive Glasses
The Need
Memory loss is a serious issue for both the affected individual and those who surround them. Today, an estimated 5.2 million Americans have some stage of Alzheimer’s, a disease that attacks the brain and causes memory loss and dementia. People with Alzheimer’s or other forms of memory loss often struggle with recognizing faces and remembering how to perform basic tasks. These individuals are often required to be aided by family members, nurses, and are sometimes forced to live in assisted living residences. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, “in 2013, 15.5 million caregivers provided more than 17.5 billion hours of unpaid care valued at over $220 billion”.
The Project
Our goal was to help memory-impaired individuals, such as early stage Alzheimer’s patients, by identifying people they come in contact with, identifying objects, and displaying step-by-step instructions for simple tasks. Our design uses Google Glass to interface with the user, which includes a small display, a 5MP camera, a bone-conduction speaker, and a touchpad. Using Google Glass and an Android application, the user takes a picture of people they would like to recognize and adds the picture to a database.
When the user would like to identify someone, they take a picture of the person and Google Glass displays the matched person’s name and relationship on Glass’s display. If that person is not found in the database, the user must add the person to the database via our Android application. Memory-impaired individuals also have difficulty remembering steps for simple tasks, such as where to put the dishes after unloading the dishwasher. Using our application, the user scans the QR code and the corresponding steps are displayed to the user on the Glass’s display .
Current status
This project is complete and won third prize in the NU Capstone Design Competition.