Old age stick gadgets galore

From pet robots that soothe people with Alzheimer’s disease to sensors in toilets that detect urinary infections, many of the gadgets introduced this week in Las Vegas are aimed at the senior market.

“Older Americans are very interested in integrating these technologies into the home, with the idea of ​​aging at home,” assures Patty David, vice-president of AARP, an organization for retirees in the United States.

She came to CES, the consumer electronics show, with several entrepreneurs eager to present their new products.

According to her, the American market for “AgeTech” – technologies designed for people aged 50 or over – is expected to reach $120 billion by 2030.

A sector that gives pride of place to health gadgets, because access to care is one of the major issues for seniors, underlines Hannah McKenney, the boss of Starling Medical.

His company has developed a device that attaches to the toilet bowl to automatically test urine and check that the person does not have a urinary tract infection.

This type of illness is a common cause of emergency room visits, even for patients who live in specialized facilities, according to Hannah McKenney.

“If you are able to easily monitor their sleep, eating, movement and urine tests, you can intervene much earlier (if there is a problem) and get them the care they need,” he said. -she detailed.

Worldwide, the proportion of the world’s population aged over 65 is growing faster than the number of younger people, according to the United Nations.

One of the major concerns of elderly people is how to age peacefully at home. Nearly 90% of seniors in the United States worry about not making it, according to a study released Wednesday by AARP and CES organizers.

Medical alert devices, digital blood pressure monitors, electric wheelchairs, connected cameras and many other gadgets are among the products intended to make life easier despite the loss of certain faculties, to stay at home safely and independently.

And beyond health devices, some companies are focusing on wellness.

Tom Stevens presented Tombot at CES, a robot dog inspired by a puppy of the Labrador Retriever breed, which wags its tail, barks and falls asleep.

He said he had this idea after his mother, who suffered from dementia, had to part with her dog. “I looked for substitutes for live animals, but she didn’t like anything I brought home,” says Stevens.

His company, Tombot, plans to make a robot cat for feline lovers, along the same lines: a calming, low-maintenance companion. “People smile, they want to be close to him, to take care of him and watch over his well-being, even if they understand that he is a robot and not a real animal,” assured Mr. Stevens.

The Brazilian beauty giant Grupo Boticario, for its part, has brought a prototype of “connected lipstick”, which uses artificial intelligence to apply lipstick without spilling over.

With age, vision tends to weaken and hands become less stable, making makeup more complicated.

“We believe that beauty is for everyone,” Boticario researcher Milene Haraguchi Padilha said during a demonstration. “It’s really great for self-esteem. The feedback we receive from consumers is very moving.”

For now, the prototype, which features a chin rest, a camera and an articulated arm, is not ready to be installed in bathrooms.

And many other technologies don’t necessarily find their audience, because people who didn’t grow up in the internet age may find these new devices intimidating.

“Price, ease of use and data security are causing hesitation in adoption,” admitted Patty David.