Send Me More Stories About Disability
Many of the newest smart designs invoke worlds of possibility—and they’re on their way to our homes.
Held in Las Vegas in 2019, the annual CES (Consumer Electronics Show) provided an international stage for showcasing the latest in technical innovation, with 4,500 exhibitions from around the world.
Since its inception fifty years ago, more than 700,000 new products have launched at CES.
This year, 524 exhibitors demonstrated new products in the ‘health’ category—but it’s not just those designated as health that could revolutionize life for people with chronic illness and disabilities.
Here are five
Ergomotion/iOBED Contour Bed
The Erogomotion/iOBED Contour Bed automatically adjusts itself throughout the night to help people with chronic pain sleep soundly.
What it is: A collaboration between adjustable bed makers Ergomotion and iOBED—the creators of technology that senses users’ individual bodies and sleep patterns—has resulted in a bed that monitors your sleep and adjusts accordingly. The mattress is made up of 80 individual air cells and 8 independently controlled zones, meaning it has infinite potential to detect and alleviate things like uncomfortable bed height, firmness, pressure and pain—all while you’re (hopefully) sound asleep. It can also be adjusted via your smartphone, or voice activation.
Why we’re excited: Insomnia and health issues go hand in hand, whether it’s caused by chronic pain, medication side effects, or anxiety. For the chronically ill or disabled, then, any technology that can help sleep better is welcome. For people with fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis, for example, the Ergomotion Contour Bed will counteract pressure that could cause further discomfort in sore bones, muscles and joints, or even prevent bedsores.
Foldimate
What it is: The Foldimate uses robotic technology to individually assess and fold your clothes as you feed them in. It has unlimited capacity, continuously folding while items are added. It’s not available on the public market yet, but it’s only a matter of time before this technology spreads.
Why we’re excited: With disability, it’s always the smallest things that can cause the most helplessness and frustration. Folding laundry might not seem like a big lift for people in good health, but it uses muscles and joints that can make the chore tortuous for people with chronic pain, and inaccessible for those with reduced mobility. And let’s face it: when your whole life can feel out-of-order, there’s psychological benefits to being able to wear freshly pressed and folded clothes.
Tikaway Connected Glasses
The Tikaway Connected Glasses can give housebound people eyes anywhere.
What it is: Tikaway allows users to share what they’re seeing, or view things remotely. Tikaway’s Connected Glasses can record what the wearer sees, or broadcast it live. Viewers can guide the wearer in real time, from wherever they might be.
Why we’re excited: This has huge potential for people with accessibility challenges, both professionally and personally. Chronically ill people working from home can attend critical on-site meetings, or go on vacations that they might otherwise not be able to take because of their health, addressing the isolation and loneliness that can often accompany illness and disability.
NeoMano Robot Glove
The Neomano Glove allows people with cerebral palsy or paralysis issues grip things they otherwise couldn’t.
What it is: This robotic glove enables people who have difficulty using their hands to firmly close their fingers, allowing them to more easily grip and pick things up. The portable glove is soft and fits over the user’s index, middle finger and thumb. A single press on a Bluetooth controller activates the titanium wires inside, closing the wearer’s hand. This simple motion means users can grip utensils, twist open bottles, turn pages and hold pens, and open doors.
Why we’re excited: The glove could help people with multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, Lou Gehrig disease, or spinal cord injuries, or those recovering from a stroke. Being able to pick up and grip tools is something many of us take for granted, and is a vital part of feeling independent. The glove would mean users being able to get dressed, feed themselves, and take part in work that might otherwise be inaccessible.
AWARE Accessible Wayfinding App
The AWARE app allows people with visual impairment issues to interact with virtual beacons spread through the world.
What it is: The AWARE Accessible Wayfinding App from Sensible Innovations basically fills the world with signs that you hear, but don’t see. By using this app, these virtual beacons allow visually impaired people to more fully experience their surroundings, and navigate public spaces in realtime. And it’s not moonshot technology: the app integrates with existing beacon technology (like the technology Apple Stores use to alert you on your phone when it’s your turn at a Genius Bar) and use Bluetooth to provide audio-location information in places like city centers and on public transport.
Why we’re excited: We’re excited by anything that opens up the world for people with visual impairment and allows them to explore the world more easily. For example, when someone using the app nears a bus stop, they’re given the schedule and route information, guided onto the bus, and alerted as the bus approaches each new stop.
