GPS Shoes For Alzheimer's Patients 116
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by
samzenpus
from the grandma-catching dept.
from the grandma-catching dept.
A shoe-maker, Aetrex Worldwide, and GTX Corp, a company that makes miniaturized Global Positioning Satellite tracking and location-transmitting devices, are teaming up to make shoes for people suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. "The technology will provide the location of the individual wearing the shoes within 9m (30 feet), anywhere on the planet. Sixty per cent of individuals afflicted with Alzheimer's Disease will be involved in a 'critical wandering incident' at least once during the progression of the disease — many more than once," said Andrew Carle, an assistant professor at George Mason University who served as an advisor on the project. Not only will this technology allow a caretaker to find a loved one with a click of a mouse, but the shoes are more humanizing than a bell hung around the neck.
why "for Alzheimer's patients"? (Score:4, Insightful)
GPS shoes could track... anyone wearing the shoes. Wandering children [slashdot.org], suspicious spouses, prisoners, whomever you want.
Am I missing something, or is this story less "new tech" and more "we finally found a relatively non-controversial market." Congrats for the shareholders, but hardly newsworthy.
Re:critical (Score:5, Insightful)
But is it better than a marker? (Score:1, Insightful)
I call bullshit (Score:4, Insightful)
Just as long as they are not in a tunnel, inside a large building, in a canyon, or have any other obstacles around them that block signal from the GPS or block the signal that this device transmits, of course! Why do marketers continue to insist that GPS is some kind of magic technology that works everywhere, and ignore the limitations of technology? This probably won't even work inside some of the nursing homes where Alzheimer's patients normally reside!
Re:I call bullshit (Score:5, Insightful)
If they are inside a building, or elsewhere that the GPS signal is disrupted, then they probably will be easy to find. You know they haven't left.
If they walk out of their facility/home/etc, then the system probably will have a last known position of sorts. That way, you can at least have a pretty good idea what building they went into and then begin your search there.
Having a last known location is a lot better than having no clue at all, I would think.
Re:This is great and all.... (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:But is it better than a marker? (Score:4, Insightful)
Not much help for people searching for her is that? Nor is it much help for those who find her since the shoe is an extremely unlikely place to look for a phone number or other form of ID.
If they already need orthopedic shoes, then adding a GPS to them won't increase the cost much.
Ambulatory patients are generally dressed and undressed by the caregiver. The patient has no need to remember to put the shoes on. (At night, when the shoes aren't being worn, a wanderer in night clothes is far more likely to be noticed by security while leaving, or wandering down the street.)
Re:I call bullshit (Score:3, Insightful)
Who said this was infallible?
Anyone with a little commence sense realizes the shoes would be helpful in many cases, like during a trip to the zoo or to visit their family.
It also makes is more reasonable for a family to care for their relative than to send them to a nursing home.