Gizmodo Australia » elderly

Tiny Telescopes Help The Blind See Again

Jack Loftus — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 05:40:00 +0000

The inexorable advance of the bionic eye continued this weekend, as doctors reported they were able to implant tiny telescopes (telescopes!) into the eyes of patients suffering from macular degeneration.

Better still, for squeamish emergency room pansies like myself, this is a “brief” outpatient procedure, say the inventors at VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies.

Just pop a telescope in your bad eye and you’ll be avoiding home furniture by the evening. Well, after a round of intense physical therapy anyway. It seems the new vision takes some getting used to, although none of the 200 patients who tested this over the past five years reported any falling down or injury, said Dr. Henry Hudson, a retina specialist in Tuscon.

And while the devices won’t allow patients to view faraway stars (not that powerful), they will allow them to see partial faces where there was once a gaping hole in their vision. “People can use it to recognise faces in a social setting,” said Dr. Janet P. Szlyk. “That’s a huge advance.”

A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel gave the tele-eyes their unanimous approval in March, and the full board is expected to give its blessing later this year. Europe is already using it. [NYT via Nick Bilton's Twitter]

Famous Old Person Helps Other Old People Understand This Digital Television Contraption

Dan Nosowitz — Sat, 09 May 2009 21:00:00 +0000

Is there anything Official DTV Spokesperson Carol Brady can’t do?

Hard as it may be to believe for nerds like you and me, there are some people who just can’t wrap their heads around this whole DTV mess. Those people…are old. And they need someone nonthreatening and of comparable age to explain the process in plain, large-print words. Preferably with pretty colours. Florence Henderson, better known as Carol Brady, has stepped up to what we’re sure is a thankless job. You can download the explanatory PDF here if you’re so inclined. [Consumer Reports]

How It Feels To Walk With Honda’s Cyborg Legs

Gizmodo US Edition — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 23:25:00 +0000

Few geeks haven’t dreamt of one day taking on cyborg enhancements—me included. And today I did, thanks to two of Honda’s wearable Asimo-inspired Walk Assist devices. This is how it felt.

I’m a PC and I’m 85…Wait…86

Mark Wilson — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 14:20:00 +0000

Microsoft has teamed with various hardware vendors to sell PCs for seniors. Because apparently the cute girls under five market is pretty small.

Offered for about $US1300, these HP desktops or laptops come with stripped down software like a simplified browser and word processor, medication adherence software, printers, and, of course, bigger keyboards/trackballs upon request.

And it all sounds great, really, until Microsoft claims, “This complete package is specifically designed for seniors who have had little or no experience with a computer. “

These systems are Vista PCs. And from what we can tell, there’s no handy icon skin to make the OS easier to navigate. (Instead, Microsoft relies on its Ease of Access Centre including magnifying glasses and audio cues.) Don’t read this as some cheap shot against Vista; realise that any full-blown OS seems ridiculously complicated for a first-time (senior) computer user who just wants to learn to check email. Sorry Microsoft, but a simple Linux OS with about five icons is the way to go here. Or just hide Vista. [Senior PC via TechDigest]

‘Help Lock’ Doorknob Protects Olds From Bathroom Peril

John Herrman — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 11:41:39 +0000

Sometimes, old people fall and they can’t get up. It’s a fact! Designer Haishan Deng has proposed a simple, timed bathroom doorknob for folks who are prone to such accidents, living alone, or clumsy.

Here’s how it works: In the initial setup, you program a time limit—say, 20 minutes—for your future bathroom. From that point on, whenever you close the door and activate the alarm, the Help Lock will sound a preliminary alarm after the allotted time, giving the bathroom inhabitant 30 seconds to deactivate it. After that, the doorknob will initiate an alert call to whatever number you’ve chosen to enter, whether it be a neighbour or emergency services.

The concept seems like a pragmatic approach to a real problem for senior citizens, but begs for one minor modification. Does forcing an old person to scramble from a bathtub to deactivate an alarm that your forgot about sound like a good idea? Throw another minute on there and we’ve probably got a winner. Check out a more in-depth description of the Help Lock’s functionality at [Yanko]

Mamoru-Kun Finds Misplaced Glasses and Slippers, I No Longer Fear Getting Old

Sean Fallon — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:40:00 +0000

I no longer fear getting old now that researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed Mamoru-Kun—a robot that helps elderly people find lost objects and remember to take their medication.

Once users register objects with Mamoru-Kun or “little protector,” the device will constantly monitor them in a specific area using several cameras. If the object is misplaced, Mamoru-Kun will either point towards its location or give you verbal directions. It can even instruct its big brother the “Home Assistant Robot” to retrieve the object for you. The designers hope to have the device commercialised by 2018, which is right about the time I will start to forget where I put my reading glasses. Thankfully, Mamoru-Kun will be right there to tell me that the glasses are hanging from my neck. Awesome. [Robot Watch via Crunchgear]

Surfing for Seniors: In Case You Need a Refresher on How a Mouse and IE 3.0 Work

Adam Frucci — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:00:00 +0000

On one level, this video is fun because it explains how computers work in the most dumbed-down language imaginable. On another level, it’s from the 90s, the golden early age of the internet. And it’s aimed at the elderly, creating the trifecta.

Yes, Surfing for Seniors is a real gem, explaining how computers work in terms old people understand, like fair games and libraries. The video itself isn’t too exciting, mostly consisting of a shot of this old lady’s back as she scrolls up and down intercut with close-ups of her clicking those mouse buttons of hers. But the sensible, incredibly dumbed down advice is pretty awesome. [Cynical C via The Daily What]

Palm Pistol: Grandma is Going On a Toodle Shootin’ Rampage

Sean Fallon — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:45:00 +0000

Thanks to the Second Amendment, even the elderly have the right to keep and bear arms. The problem is that many of the guns out there are a bit unwieldy for an older person to handle. However, the inventors of the Palm Pistol are planning to change all that with a weapon that is ideal for both the elderly and the physically disabled. The firearm appears to be a redesign of the classic “Chicago Palm Pistol” first patented in the US in 1883—the difference being that the modern Palm Pistol is a single shot device with a thumb trigger. According to the product site, “point and shoot couldn’t be easier”—so now we have to worry about protecting our toodles from pistol packin’ Grandmas like the one featured after the break.

[Palm Pistol via I New Idea Homepage via OhGizmo]

Elderly Airbag Turns Old People into Superballs

Sean Fallon — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 23:40:00 +0000

The large elderly population in Japan has manufacturers clamouring to develop devices to assist them. Not surprisingly, they are coming up with some pretty unique ideas. Take this human airbag for instance. The airbag system is strapped onto the body and inflates in 0.1 seconds when it detects rapid movement toward the ground. Strangely, one pocket will be behind the head and another behind the hips—but there is no protection for a forward fall. So, Grandpa is on his own if he should trip and fall face-first in the street. Walk it off, Grandpa…walk it off. [BBC]

Five Axis Mechanical Core Muscle Trainer Is Wild Bull Riding Fun for the Older Sect

Jack Loftus — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 17:30:00 +0000

It turns out the wet t-shirt-wearing girls riding those mechanical bulls at the local bar were actually exercising. No lie, as you can see with this Five Axis Core Muscle Trainer, ripped from the everlasting kitsch-ridden pages of Hammacher Schlemmer. The saddle tilts left and right, up and down, and throws in a few twists for good measure. All the while the motions target your “core muscles,” which are worked as your body attempts to regain equilibrium. The whole idea of a rocking, jocking mechanical exercise bull for the home actually sounds kind of exciting, until you realise this piece of equipment was designed with the senior bull rider in mind. And yes, those are stirrups.

The core muscle trainer is designed for low impact exercises, but does include “moderate” and “advanced” programs for when you want to hold onto the handle for dear life. The nine speeds (think Sybian) and seven programs are controlled via an LCD screen on the pommels. Just plop down US$1,800, and this bucking grandma machine is yours, today! P.S. — This thing is out there, but it’s still infinitely less sad than what Jesus dug up in May. [Hammacher Schlemmer]