With Millions Suffering From Alzheimer’s, This Teenager’s Invention Will Improve Their Safety

Kenneth Shinozuka isn’t like other teenagers. Maybe it’s because he’s one of the contestants in the Google Science Fair, an international competition for 13- to 18-year-olds, or because he’s the winner of the Scientific American Science in Action Award.
Most likely, though, it’s because of the impressive fact that he just invented a device to ease the lives of Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers.
About 5.2 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s, and, of those, 65 percent are wanderers — meaning that they walk away from their homes and loved ones, sometimes ending up lost or disoriented. Not only is this dangerous for the person with Alzheimer’s, but it causes added stress for caregivers.
Shinozuka’s grandfather is a wanderer. Many times at night, his grandpa will just get out of bed and start walking — oftentimes resulting in accidents. Which is why Shinozuka took matters into his own hands and created a wearable detection device.
So, how does it work?
Well, the device is worn on the patient’s foot, and it detects the pressure every time the patient takes a step. This triggers the wireless audible alarm in the caregiver’s smartphone signaling them that the patient is on the move. The device comes as a sock and a sensor assembly that can be attached to the foot.
Shinozuka used his grandfather as the subject of his six-month-long test trial. The result: Of the 437 known times of wandering, the device detected 100 percent of them. Even better, there weren’t any false alarms.
Currently, Shinozuka is conducting further testing, using nursing home patients as subjects.
Detecting patients’ movements isn’t Shinozuka’s only goal, though. “In addition to solving the originally intended problem, using the sensor to monitor a larger population of Alzheimer’s patients could lead to a fundamental understanding of the causes of wandering and thus ways to mitigate or prevent it,” Shinozuka explains in his project proposal.
Who says that teenagers can’t solve the world’s problems?
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Wearable Technology That Can Keep Women Safe (and Fashionable)

Wearable technology might be the next big innovation in the tech world, but for many women, the aesthetics leave a lot to be desired. Designer and former retail executive Deepa Sood was taken with the idea that technology could be worn and accessed easily, especially in times of emergency, but she wasn’t prepared to wear anything that looked like it came from The Jetsons. “Everybody is talking about the wearables opportunity, but nobody is doing it well,” Sood told TechHive. So she set out to disrupt the industry with her new product, Cuff.
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Currently available for pre-order, Cuff is a fashion-forward accessory and security system combined. The CuffLinc module, a nondescript battery of sorts, can be added to any of the line’s jewelry — from bracelets to necklace pendants to keychains — providing quick, two-way communication between the wearer and her closest family and friends. The CuffLinc connects to a smartphone app over Bluetooth and can be pre-programmed by the user with up to five distinct presses. For example, if the wearer is in immediate danger or in a car accident, they can squeeze the jewelry in an extended press. The people in her network will receive a message with GPS location and emergency information that the user pre-programmed, such as allergies, insurance and blood type. For other, less urgent matters, users can program their Cuff with two quick presses to text someone that they’re on their way home or three presses to message that they’re trying to reach them. The Cuff system can also alert a user if someone in her network is trying to contact her. “Say my phone is somewhere in my bag. It’s ringing and ringing, and my babysitter really needs to get me,” Sood says. “I’ve programmed her to break through to me. It will vibrate on my wrist, and I’ll know to check my phone.”
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There are a few issues that haven’t been ironed out yet. Most importantly, how to deal with false alarms. Sood says that when one user sends a message to another, her accessory vibrates as well. If she sent the message accidentally, the user can simply go into the app and cancel the call. Another downfall is that the CuffLinc battery has to be replaced every year (an upside to that is that it doesn’t ever need to be charged). And while there’s a nice variety of jewelry to start, Sood is looking to partner with more accessory designers to create pieces that would appeal to a larger audience. But Sood isn’t worried about these things. As a mom of three, it’s the security that Cuff offers — along with its wearability — that makes the product stand out. “What industry needs a facelift more than personal protection?” she asks.
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