medicine
New AI Glasses for Dementia 'See' Objects With Labels Projected on Lenses
AI glasses with a companion named 'Wispy' guide people with early dementia through daily tasks — three of four testers reported a significant quality-of-life boost.
New AI glasses for people with dementia are able to project visual prompts onto the lenses to help folks live more independently—and they could be available in the UK in 2027.
The latest news comes after the glasses wowed both test patients in their homes and a panel of outside judges.
They can guide people living with early-stage dementia through daily activities by identifying common objects and providing audio commentary or answer questions while projecting visual prompts onto the lenses.
By asking gentle questions, the glasses’ AI companion, called ‘Wispy’, understands and learns a person’s unique way of doing things, with the AI adapting to each user’s needs as their dementia progresses.
Wispy will even talk through what to do when a person cannot remember a particular step in a process.
In test trials, three out of four patients reported a significant improvement to their quality of life, thanks to the glasses and Wispy’s tips developed from UK company CrossSense .
Spending over a decade creating and tweaking prototypes of the app and gadget, a team of AI engineers trained the glasses with dozens of everyday activities including getting dressed, managing household chores safely, making a cup of tea and interacting with loved ones.
The specs, which work with people’s prescription lens inserts and hearing aids, also capture the environment of the person living with dementia and the AI interprets that information to help the user to do the things that define independence.
“This includes feeling confident in their own home, taking good care of themselves, planning the day ahead, completing planned activities and hosting friends and family,” said the creators.
PREVENTING DEMENTING: • Seniors Who Listen to Music May Slash Their Dementia Risk by Over a Third • Cheese May Help Stave Off Dementia Shows Study of 27k People Followed For 25 Years
With a release date set for early 2027 in the UK, the inventors hope the specs, which weigh less than 3 ounces (75g), will be used by local authorities, care providers, and NHS hospital memory clinics.
Last week, the London-based team behind the technology, CrossSense, won the Longitude Prize on Dementia with its million dollar prize funded by the Alzheimer’s Society and Innovate UK.