MS's "Lifeblogging" Camera Enters Mass Production

holy_calamity writes "Remember Microsoft's camera to be slung around the necks of people with Alzheimer's to help them recall where they'd been? A version of this device will now be mass-produced by a UK firm, Vicon, which obtained a license from Microsoft to manufacture the camera. It is worn around the neck and takes an image every thirty seconds, or in response to its light sensor, accelerometer, or body-heat sensor indicating that something of interest may be happening. Until now only a few hundred had been made for research, which showed they can genuinely help people with memory problems. The new version will be marketed to Alzheimer's researchers this winter, and to consumers for 'lifelogging' beginning in 2010."

Comments

Predictable Outcome

[Tablizer]

08:12 - "Hmmm, I trolled slashdot. Oh well."
09:23 - "Hmmm, I trolled slashdot. Oh well."
11:05 - "Hmmm, I trolled slashdot. Oh well."
13:11 - "Hmmm, I trolled slashdot. Oh well."
15:43 - "Hmmm, I trolled slashdot. Oh well." ...

Re:lifeblogging in the bedroom

[John3]

You don't need to imagine, Paris Hilton has been lifeblogging from the bedroom for years.

A better and more mundane solution

[Teckla]

Technology can and does change our lives in profound and wonderful ways, but...

I think a pad of paper and a pen might be a better solution, or even a PDA (remember when they were called PDAs?) with a calendar and note taking application.

8:10 AM - Took heart medication.

9:45 AM - Went to market to pick up bread for dinner.

10:30 AM - Took blood pressure medication.

10:40 AM - Maintenance stopped by and fixed the leaky faucet in the bathroom. If it starts leaking again, call 555-1212 and ask for Ben and let him know it's still leaking.

People with memory problems need a convenient and reliable memory enhancer. I doubt recording your life and having to watch it back over and over to see what you've done is convenient or reliable. Glancing at your pad of paper or calendar plus note taking application is easy, fast, convenient, and reliable.

Re:A better and more mundane solution

[wizardforce]

My grandmother has severe memory problems. We have tried a system very similar to what you describe and frankly, once her memory got bad enough to need such a system, she couldn't remember to note the things she should remember. We did most of the note taking for her and she would forget to use them. Honestly, the camera may help with memory problems just due to the fact that it does it automatically but really it may just come down to her forgetting why she has it and leave it somewhere. What people with memory problems like hers really need is care and attention from their family and friends. It is as simple as that. They're going through life with pieces missing and they often know it and that is really hard for them emotionally and no camera is going to fix that.

Re:A better and more mundane solution

[cjerrells]

I haven't read the papers first-hand but did see the research presented and IIRC the point is that this doesn't just help the person to remember the facts of what they did (as your suggested approach would). Instead, it allowed them to retain the *actual memories* of what had happened. Having visual and audio records of the events of the day, and reviewing them periodically over the next couple of weeks actually helped these people retain their memories of the events. I'm pretty sure they said this extended to details not captured by the SenseCam, demonstrating that they weren't just remembering the material they'd reviewed.

So quite different from 'Did I remember to take my pill? Oh yes, here, I wrote it down...'

When I first heard about the SenseCam project it was the lifeblogging pitch and I thought it was cool but gimmicky. The research results they had for improving patients' memories really impressed me though.

Re:A better and more mundane solution

[fractalspace]

6:24 AM - Took a dump
7:45 AM - Woke up

Re:The big problem

[Frans Faase]

In the early stages of Alzheimer, people can remember a lot. I notice this with my 52 year old wife, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease in December 2006. Sometimes she can lose her keys twice within half an hour. But when I ask her to buy something, when she goes shopping, she usually succeeds in doing this. At the end of the day, she often does not know what she all did during the day. On other times she keeps repeating telling me some story about what happend during the day. I could imagine that something like "Lifeblogging" could help her to remember more of her day.

A better use

[DeadboltX]

I'd like to have one to wear for when I go drinking, as I usually end up somewhere I don't remember being!

Re:The big problem

[Frans Faase]

To be honest, lately, I have been thinking about putting a cinder-block around my neck and jump in the canal. The slogan of the Dutch Alzheimer's society is: "He suffers from Alzheimer's Disease, she has it." Alzheimer's Disease is often the hardest for the people around, who have to see a loved slowly crumble down and return into a baby. I already have lost her as a partner, her emotional development is like a 10 year old child. I often find myself talking with my 15 year daughter about her like normal parents would talk about their children. It is no surprise that my daughter is only staying with us in the weekends and staying elsewhere the rest of the time. I have a feeling that my life has come to an end. Next month I am going to be 48, but it often feels like I am 20 years older.

Reading a clock is a big problem

[Frans Faase]

O yeah, besides reading be a problem, reading the time from a clock is even a bigger problem. I have removed the minute hand from some of our clocks in home, because already very earlier phases of Alzheimer's Disease, confusing the hour and minute hands is a big problem. A sense of time is also one of the things that is often lost early phases of the disease.

Re:The big problem

[FesterDaFelcher]

I apologize for that jackass' response above (even though this is /., so it is to be expected). You are being sincere and sharing useful info, and he is just a troll. Anyway, understand that there are good times to come, and if you try to make the best of what time she has left, it will mean loads to your daughter in her future. I suspect you already know this, but remeber that your daughter is still watching how you treat this situation and it molds her as well. Just know that you have positive energy coming your way from me. Alzheimer's sucks.