A University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign student developed a home monitoring device that allows the elderly to live alone without families worrying about them, according to a case study from Model Solution (Milpitas, Calif.).
Jun Young Park, a senior industrial design student led by professor Sung Too Shin, created the INCAIR at-home monitoring device to help elderly people who want to live alone, but can’t afford senior housing communities or at-home full-time caregivers. The designers of the device wanted to create a cost-effective, simple monitoring device that offers easy access to emergency services and functionality.
In collaboration with Model Solution, the design team created a prototype of the device. The resulting prototype was made from ABS, acrylic, urethane rubber, aluminum and brass.
INCAIR has a motion sensor that notifies caregivers if an elderly person living alone falls. It also features a speaker that plays music or ambiance sounds that can be controlled by a smartphone through Bluetooth. The setup instructions are also written in a large font and are easy to follow. INCAIR also has direct phone lines to caregivers and emergency services, offering in-home monitoring without expensive monthly fees.
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