Apple Watch brought attention to tech needs of the elderly, but we can do better

Author: Assaf Sella / Source: The Next Web

The launch of the latest Apple Watch in September was accompanied with the customary buzz that comes with every new Apple gadget. What really caught my eye and generated extra curiosity this time was the watch’s new fall detection feature, aimed at both senior citizens and the general public.

One news outlet even enlisted a professional stunt double to demonstrate that fall detection ability.

For me, Apple’s entry into this space is certainly good news for elderly care and the growing number of seniors that wish to live out their lives at home — better known as “aging at home.” According to an AARP survey, nearly 90 percent of seniors want to remain in their home for as long as possible and 80 percent believe they will always live in the same home. Some 12 million Americans are already following this route.

So when a giant of personal tech such as Apple adds technology that directly addresses solutions for aging at home, it puts the topic front and center in a way that only Apple can. The addition of the feature boosts awareness that there is a need to include fall detection systems in mass made personal tech devices.

But, if I am honest, for all the attention the Apple Watch is generating, consumers interested in aging-at-home solutions need to exercise caution. That’s because Apple Watch doesn’t really address the needs of this population or their loved ones who want peace of mind that seniors are safe.

Relying on common technology

For one, Apple Watch doesn’t represent any significant technological advance to the table for fall detection.

The same solution already exists in other fall-detection products: the watch’s fall detection system is based on accelerometer and gyroscopes, the same technology your smartphone uses to know when to rotate its screen.

I think the main problem with this technology is that it lacks understanding of the context of the activity and tends to generate false alarms — creating stress and headaches for family and the senior. An everyday event like plopping down onto a couch sometimes looks like a serious fall.

The second issue with the Apple Watch is that the technology focuses exclusively on detecting what are known as “hard falls” — the kind…

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