Robots and sensors to help elderly stay independent

The Dallas Morning News - Bob Moos Oct. 15, 2008 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- Someday soon, older adults may not need to move into nursing homes because they'll have a household of technological wonders to keep an eye on them when they become frail. Like smart pets that never require feeding, robots will scoot from room to room to wake the homeowners in the morning, remind them to eat and send for help if someone falls. Sensors embedded throughout the seniors' homes will detect when the residents have sleepless nights or forget to take their medication. Web-based computer software will notify caregivers. "This is the future of aging," said Fillia Makedon, a professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington. "Technology will let people grow old at home." With support from the National Science Foundation and others, Dr. Makedon has created the Heracleia Human-Centered Computing Laboratory at UTA, where she, other faculty members and their students are designing technology that will allow tomorrow's seniors to remain independent longer than previous generations. The research facility, and a handful of similar labs across the country, will be the springboard for what experts predict will be an exploding assistive technology industry within a decade.