Japan-based Union Tool is working on an innovating device for monitoring the elderly, Nikkei is reporting. The system called “Laser Light” looks like a regular lamp attached to a ceiling, and can instantaneously detect abnormalities such as a tumble of a person and monitor the state of breathing or sleeping. In comparison, most of today’s monitoring systems either require a dedicated camera or a wrist-band both of which can cause discomfort, tension and the feeling of “being watched” or “wearing a device.”
The patent-protected system measures the distance between the lamp and the head of an elderly person by analyzing the reflected light of the radar device, and transmits the results to a server via Wi-Fi. If a person falls over, Laser Light will instantly notify a caretaker or a family member who is in a remote place of the sudden change of the person’s physical condition.
In addition, the device can also measure vital data such as the state of breathing and the depth of sleep by using the infinitesimal displacement measurement function of the milliwave radar device.
Union Tool is bullish on the prospects of Laser Light, with plans to generate ¥300 million (about $2.6 million) in sales in the first year. The company will start selling the device in September 2015, targeting both the elderly and nursing facilities.