ANN ARBOR, Mich., March 31 (UPI) -- U.S. engineers are developing software that could power computerized caregivers to help people with memory problems cope with their condition.
The researchers, from the University of Michigan, said the technology, called Autominder, can remind the elderly or people with brain trauma to perform tasks and even help them navigate their surroundings.
Autominder would supplement rather than replace human caregivers, however, the engineers said. Because of the growing shortage of health care providers, ballooning population of aging baby-boomers and increasingly longer life spans, they said, computers could be invaluable aides in caring for people with cognitive disorders.
The software has been used in hand-held computers slightly bigger than a personal digital assistant and in a mobile robot. It works by giving instructions or other guidance to the patient, who operates the device by touching or tapping it when the task is complete.
Eventually, researchers hope to use motion sensors and contact sensors with the software and computers to warn an elderly user if, for instance, the water inadvertently was left running or a back door was left wide open.
