Seoul – April 27, 2022 –

People & Technology, in collaboration with Korea University Medical Center, has been developing integrated safety support technologies for independent living in the elderly, linked with the Emergency Safety and Security Service. The company is currently conducting a pilot project in partnership with Gwangsan District Office, introducing smart intelligent care services designed to automatically patternize daily activities and detect anomalies quickly and accurately using AI.

Goals and Impact

The smart care service aims to improve the efficiency of national care processes by digitizing workflows and offering personalized care based on individual lifestyle patterns. This will extend care benefits to more seniors while improving satisfaction levels. With the platform, the number of elderly individuals managed by a single caregiver could increase from approximately 16 to over 30.

Key to this solution is the use of IoT and AI technologies to monitor the daily activities of elderly individuals, ensuring early detection of health or safety anomalies. The system integrates IoT devices, two-way AI speakers, and wearable medical devices to track daily life patterns, correlate them with health data, and proactively respond to potential risks.

Innovative Features

AI Speaker Integration

The system enables two-way conversations with an AI speaker, analyzing sound patterns and recognizing emotional and contextual nuances to support care services. Existing AI speakers often struggle with low recognition accuracy, particularly for elderly users with accents or unclear pronunciation due to dentures. To address this, People & Technology has developed “Smartcareplus”, which combines voice-based interactions with a 10.4-inch touch display for easier use.

Environmental Monitoring via IoT Devices

IoT devices collect environmental data such as movement, light, temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) within the user’s residence. The system analyzes these metrics for anomalies, triggering personalized care services from local governments. For example:

• A decline in movement combined with stable light and VOC levels may indicate potential health issues or depression.
• Early intervention can prevent dangerous situations while optimizing human and material resources for local governments.

Core Features of Smartcareplus

The system integrates nine software components and eight algorithms to deliver six core services:

1. Viral Illness Detection via sound analysis (e.g., cough sounds).
2. Daily Health Questionnaires using interactive Q&A.
3. Medication Adherence Management through reminders and tracking.
4. Emotional Care with music and conversational AI.
5. Emergency Safety Calls for critical situations.
6. Daily Check-ins to monitor seniors' well-being.

Significance and Vision

This smart care initiative adds advanced technologies, such as AI, to IT devices, enabling personalized and proactive care services. By leveraging IoT for non-contact care, the platform minimizes care gaps for the elderly while improving the efficiency of community resources.

People & Technology remains committed to reducing the care blind spots for seniors through innovative solutions like Smartcareplus, providing a safer and more connected future for elderly populations.