The Japanese obviously care about their ageing population.
Old people are prone to falling. To save them from injury, the Japanese have produced a 1.1kg pouch that straps around the waist to provide the wearer with cutting edge protection. Sensors detect movement and have been programmed to know when things have gone wrong — a slip on something wet, a stumble on an uneven paving stone or a fall down stairs.
Within a tenth of a second, the airbags inflate to the size of three footballs with the help of 15 litres of compressed gas, offering a soft slab of padding on the most vulnerable parts of the body in a fall: the back of the head and the bottom.
Actually, the Japanese already have plenty of other devices to cater for the ageing market. Foremost among them is the I-Pot, an intelligent kettle that offers round-the-clock monitoring and surveillance of its owner.
The theory is that, when they are at home, elderly Japanese make themselves an average of two cups of tea every hour (NB I hope they have good plumbing). The kettle is programmed to send a text message to a son or daughter as soon as it is not used at normal intervals. If the tea-drinking rate drops to zero, it might be time to call to find out what is going on, or alert a friendly neighbour.
In a country where almost 22 per cent of the population is already over 65 — compared with fewer than 13 per cent in the US this all makes economic sense.
Other gadgets the Japanese have for the elderly
Liquid level indicator Device fitted to cups or jugs that beeps when liquid is an inch from the top of the container
Bed occupancy sensor sends a warning to a monitoring centre if a bed is left unoccupied for a certain period, indicating a possible fall
Dolls that weigh as much as a baby and tell owners they love them, and welcome them back to the house — very popular with elderly women
Brain training game Nintendo gadget successful with elderly Japanese who use the mathematical and spelling puzzles to keep them mentally agile
Light-up slippers Footwear with miniature pressure-activated torches designed to prevent night-time falls.
I like the light up slippers idea . Just one problem though - you might need a light to find the slippers.
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