Smart & Wired: Safe At Home
March 1, 2004
Within months, Shell Oil will be selling
its HomeGenie system, which allows homeowners to access and control various systems in their
home via the Internet. Owners can control their thermostat, lights and small
appliances with the system (which will be sold at retail stores and will cost
less than $1,000, with monthly fees of less than $30) and can see live video of
their home, from anywhere at any time. Running home to turn off the coffeepot
will become a thing of the past.
Another product that will hit the shelves
within the next year is the Online Medicine Cabinet developed by Accenture
Technology Labs. Using a camera, face-recognition software and the Internet, the
cabinet can recognize different household members and give reminders to take
medication and refill prescriptions. As residents enter the bathroom, the
medicine cabinet recognizes them and tells them which medications to take. It
also keeps track of local allergy conditions, and if the pollen count is high,
it reminds users to take their allergy medication. The cabinet can process vital
signs, such as blood pressure and cholesterol, and can upload data to a
physician. Accenture expects the price of the cabinet to be about $1,000.
As
the oldest baby boomers approach 60, experts predict that the demand for
assisted care will skyrocket in the near future, as will the demand for
technology that can help older Americans retain their independence. And that
makes people like Susan McDonough happy. “Technology now gives me a comfort
level to know that my mom is still independent and that her lifestyle is not
impeded due to her health concerns,” she says. “It gives me peace of
mind.”
Sumi Helal, Ph.D.
352.392.6845
www.harris.cise.ufl.edu
GE Global
Research Center
www.GEsecurity.com
Accenture Technology Labs
312.693.6806
www.accenture.com
Shell HomeGenie
866.677.4355
Napco Security
Group
631.842.9400
www.napcosecurity.com
RJE Technologies
Inc.
877.467.6627
www.sonarguard.com
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