Researchers are developing AI and pervasive-systems technology that can adapt to elder patients’ changing needs and respond quickly in moments of agitation and distress, based on patient data gathered by sensors placed throughout an eldercare facility.

Examples include a “gesture pendant” that can detect Parkinson’s Disease or side effects from medication; tracking elderly guests’ movements in a pervasive environment that includes electronic badges, infrared detectors and load-sensing beds; a health adviser that uses voice recognition and dispenses drug interaction information to patients; and a bathroom mirror that will identify suspicious moles and prompt the viewer to make an appointment with a dermatologist.