From 2023, Nobi’s revolutionary lamp for fall detection and prevention will also monitor vital signs
nobi, the European scale-up specializing in technology to help the elderly, has developed the world’s smartest lamp. Thanks to artificial intelligence, it is able to detect, prevent and even predict falls in the elderly. Launched internationally at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the next-generation smart bulb takes things to a new level by pioneering the monitoring of vital signs like breathing and coughing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the elderly care of tomorrow, which is completely dependent on the use of innovative technologies.
The tsunami of aging makes Age Tech essential
Our society is aging rapidly. Today, a fifth of the European population is over 65 years old. By 2040 it will be more than one in four. Technology will be essential to averting an elder care crisis and upholding seniors’ right to quality care. Innovative technology solutions to support older people can enable seniors to enjoy their homes longer, with dignity and independence, while also supporting caregivers who are overwhelmed by the workload in professional care facilities.
Falls are one of the main barriers to keeping older people at home. In nursing homes, 70% of residents fall at least once a year. Falls are the leading cause of fatal injuries among seniors. A third of people over the age of 65 fall at least once a year, and the risk increases with age. Usually it is not the fall itself, but the expectation of help that determines the severity of the injury. In fact, a person who is not helped within an hour has a 50 percent chance of dying within six months of their fall. Fast help after a fall is therefore crucial.
Detect, prevent and predict falls with AI
The artificial intelligence lamp developed by Nobi detects falls and provides immediate assistance. In case of a fall, Nobi asks the elderly person if they fell. Without a clear “no,” the lamp automatically notifies caregivers or family members. Users are masters of their privacy: They determine in advance whether their trusted persons should only receive a notification or also images (abstract or not). In a home setting, Nobi can even open the front door for emergency services or neighbors to come to the news thanks to its connection to a smart doorbell.
The smart lamp not only recognizes falls, it also helps to avoid falls. Nobi automatically emits a soft light when the user sits up in bed. And when he gets up, the lamp illuminates the whole room so he can get his bearings. By monitoring sleep patterns and detecting changes early, the lamp can predict an increased risk of falls and also reveal other health problems. Since Nobi also recognizes “slow falls”, the nursing staff can react quickly and thus prevent the person from falling to the ground.
Breathing and cough monitoring with technological innovation
The new lamp that Nobi will present at CES includes a number of innovative technologies. For example, Nobi is using radar technology for the first time, which in combination with cameras and sensors will further improve the versatility of the light.
Stijn Verrept, co-founder and CTO of Nobi : “In the near future it will also be possible to monitor important body parameters such as coughing and breathing. From afar, without physical contact. For example, if someone suddenly has difficulty breathing at night, the lamp will detect this and sound an alarm. With this, Nobi is helping to prevent even more deaths, even while they are asleep. »
The audio quality of the new lamp has also been significantly improved. Fast and clear communication between the user and the caregiver or support person is indeed crucial after a fall. In the new version of the lamp is the function noise cancellation suppresses disruptive background noise, such as B. the sound of a loud TV. function Beamforming software processing enables targeted listening at a specific point in the room; the lamp is then aimed specifically at the spot in the room where the user fell.
The new version of the Nobi lamp will thus monitor the safety and health of the elderly even more effectively, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And these technological innovations will go completely unnoticed by users because the lamp will always be so easy to use .
Simplicity is the key to large-scale adoption of age technology
Nobi aims to transform the lives of older people and their caregivers. And the only way to achieve this is by combining innovative technology with great usability. The technology behind the smart lamp is constantly being improved, but remains as accessible as possible for the elderly. Revolutionary innovations are useless if nobody wants or can use them. The brand new lamp combines major technological improvements and a conscious choice for elegant design and high user-friendliness.
Roeland Pelgrims, co-founder and CEO of Nobi : “Simplicity and design are key to the widespread adoption of age technology. Most of the technical solutions designed for seniors today are primarily functional, and you can tell that. They’re ugly, sad, and unnecessarily complex. The Nobi lamp is the smartest lamp in the world. The powerful Nvidia processor can perform over a trillion calculations per second. But the user doesn’t notice anything about this innovative high technology. He simply sees a beautiful, elegant and friendly lamp. »
Privacy is crucial
The protection of the privacy of the users had top priority in the development of the smart lamp. Nobi analyzes the images locally and deletes them immediately if there is no drop. Therefore, no image is saved or sent to the cloud except after a fall. Users determine in advance which information they would like to share with their relatives or confidants. They can choose to not share any pictures (contacts will only receive a call, text, or in-app notification), share only abstract pictures (contacts will see stick figures), or share the full pictures from their bedroom.
International expansion
Barely a year after the first scale-up pilot project, Nobi lamps are already proving themselves in nursing homes in Belgium, the Netherlands, England and Ireland. They are also recently available in Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Norway and Hungary.
And Nobi is now ready to expand further internationally. Talks are underway with several interested sales partners in the USA. Not only targeting the professional market (Nobi in nursing homes and hospitals), Nobi also aims to enable seniors to have the smart lamp at home in 2023.