iCrowds » aging http://www.icrowds.net The intelligence of Crowds put to work Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:08:03 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Aging 0.5 http://www.icrowds.net/2009/03/aging-05/ http://www.icrowds.net/2009/03/aging-05/#comments Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:38:34 +0000 Martijn Kriens http://www.icrowds.net/?p=155 The aging society is I think one of the big issues that as society we will have to deal with in the future. We do know that there will simply be not enough hands to help the aging people in a way that is personnel. Technology can help a lot but has the risk of creating a too mechanical care. A special lift can help you out of bed but will not talk to you.

That is why I like projects where technology helps us by connecting people and give care in a way that is friendly and personnel. Like this project or this. In the second project my favourite moment was when the elderly lady is told that there is a camera in the Aibo and here reaction is: oh nice, it can see me?

However, today I read that there are even bigger problems in an aging world. In Japan people that turn 100 receive a special silver cup. Only there are so many people turning a 100 now that they had to reduce the size of the cup in order to save money! In 1963, the first year they started this program, only a 153 people turned 100. This year a mind boggling 19,769 turned 100!!!

I think this shows in a symbolical way the challenges we will face the future decades. You can read more about it here.

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