People with Alzheimer’s have a tendency to wander. Left alone for a while, they may get up and walk around aimlessly, creating headaches for caregivers who have to keep up with them.
Kenneth Shinozuka saw how his grandfather, who has Alzheimer’s, would wander and how his aunt would struggle to cope. “About two years ago, my grandfather started wandering out of bed, which caused a lot of accidents,” he says. “My aunt had to stay awake all night to keep an eye on him and, even then, often failed to catch him leaving the bed.”
Shinozuka, who is 15 years old, came up with something to help: A thin pressure-sensor that attaches to the heel and alerts his aunt when his grandfather gets out of bed.
Watch the below video from TED where Kenneth Shinozuka spoke about his innovation.