MK360, immersive technology for the care and welfare of older people

admin on 2 July 2021

Users of the Grup Arrels enjoying an immersive experience. Retrieved from Broomx’s website.

Projector that allows immersive group experiences of 360 degrees to the range of services, residences, and open centres for older people to perform cognitive, physical, sensorial, and emotional stimulation activities with great therapeutic power.

Thanks to the collaboration between the Catalan company Broomx and the Foundation Grup Arrels, they have fostered diverse experiences of application of immersive technology MK360 in old users of different services: treatment of people with cognitive disorders, dementia and Alzheimer’s; the creation of relaxing spaces where music and images surround the users; funny and energizing experiences, such as the projection of a roller coaster tour; or the recreation of city sites in an immersive way, an experience that has been especially useful during the months of residential confinement due to Covid-19.

The 360-degree images that the Grup Arrels projected through the projectors MK360 of Broomx were recorded by the group’s own socio-sanitary professionals, using their mobile phones, in community and neighbourhood spaces (parks, markets, streets, etc.) in the city of Barcelona.

Characteristics of innovation

Aging, Bank of innovations, Cross-cutting intervention, Disability, Group intervention, Integrated care, Lab, Mental health, New technological tool, Personalization of the service, Prediction and prevention, Publications

Location

Barcelona

Partners/Funders

Seventeen Gallery, QuaQua, BBR Agency, Bloomx, Creative Technology Center, Cyberrex Design, Das Fritz, Giafatto Entertainment, Haaga-Helia University, Living CG, NMC Productions, One Voice Institute, Planet O, Sensoryone, Planet Ninety, VRinSchool

Genesis

Broomx is a start-up that was born in 2015 in Barcelona with the aim of providing a virtual reality solution without the need to use goggles, making it a shared, group-based experience applicable to a wide variety of sectors.

Level of implementation

Broomx is present today in more than 20 countries and is continually looking for new ways of improving immersive experiences. In terms of its application in old people in areas such as cognitive stimulation, it has driven projects with DomusVi and Arrels Group in Spain, with Albert Project in Canada, with AIMA in Italy, with Kotikunnas in Finland, and with Timeless Life Care in the United States.

Further information

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InvisiCare, monitoring without sensors of the homes of the elderly

admin on 1 June 2021

Old woman accompanied by her granddaughter. Retrieved from InvisiCare’s website.

A proactive, preventive and community technology system to support older people and their families in a non-invasive, secure, autonomous and community-integrated way. Use the collected encrypted data to detect unexpected patterns or behaviours that require family, social or health intervention. And through artificial intelligence, it warns whoever is relevant. This will help to prevent situations that may pose a long-term problem. In addition to this preventative aspect, it also has a proactive one, since through an App and through a network of communities and accompaniment it provides active and permanent support to the elderly, from the family, the community and public social and health services.

The InvisiCare technology is not invasive as it does not use appliances, does not need contact with people, nor does it need any installation or house maintenance, so it does not face any kind of technological barrier by users. It works thanks to these pillars: the obtaining of data, which is securely and encrypted, by telecommunications and supply operators (TV, telephone, light, water, etc.); the detection of triggers, since it uses the data collected with algorithms to detect abnormal situations that require attention; the generation of notifications, by means of artificial intelligence that decides the type of notification to be sent; and at the same time advises on the type of accompanying and support that needs to be put in place and, if this is a prolonged action, the system will create a roadmap to carry out.