New device helps locate missing objects in the home

[caption id="attachment_15500" align="alignleft" width="300"] Kinsight[/caption]

It isn't just the elderly who forget where they put things, so a new invention can go a long way in helping a lot of people locate items they misplace.

The Kinsight system was developed by Shahriar Nirjon and John Stankovic.  They are two computer scientists at the University of Virginia who have invented a type of camera system that tracks people when they move from room to room in house. The information is put together with a database that consists of a description including size and shape of objects that belong in the house. This allows the system to be able to determine when objects have been moved.

To find the missing object an individual would type in the name of the object into the database, and the computerized system would be able to locate it.

Since the human memory is faulty, there have always been memory devices to aid people in recall, whether that's a note or string around a finger. Now technology has increased the capability of search using a database combined with descriptions of objects. Scientists believe they are on the threshold of some serious improvements in aiding how humans can be, more facile in memory. The questions, however, scientists have yet to answer is whether or not this new technology is able to promote human memory over time. Furthermore, measures need to be done on how long it takes for the computerized system to give the right answer.

Whatever your need is in order to live better independently, there are organizations and techniques set up to support people with a range of disabilities. Some of these techniques are useful for folks with minor problems, the everyday guy who just can't remember where he put his keys. But for those who want grassroots information and where to get it,  there are websites that provide direction and a list of ideas and devices to aid in memory. Some of these are games and tips on how to improve memory, and others are lists of technological equipment the user can wear or have set up to aid memory. The principle behind all of this is to allow people better function. And for those of us who have been known to wander around a parking lot looking for a car,  some of these tips and ideas can be handy.

According to new research men may have more memory problems than women

GHN Editor - "Where did I put my keys?" may be just simple forgetfulness, but it also
may indicate cognitive decline.  Researchers believe that mild mental
decline may impact men more than women.


The American Academy of Neurology has just published new research
indicating mild cognitive impairment to effect more men than women.
This is a condition that is not explained by the simple aging process.
The recent study finds that men are 1.5 times more apt to have memory
deficits of this kind than women.

“This is the first
study conducted among community-dwelling persons to find a higher
prevalence of MCI in men,” said study author Ronald Petersen, MD, PhD,
with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. “If these results are
confirmed in other studies, it may suggest that factors related to
gender play a role in the disease. For example, men may experience
cognitive decline earlier in life but more gradually, whereas women may
transition from normal memory directly to dementia at a later age but
more quickly.”

2050 people
were evaluated for the study using tests and medical history.
Individuals involved ranged in age from 70 to 89 with 14% testing with
mild cognitive impairment.  10% of the people in the study had dementia
and 76% normal memory. A total of 19 percent of men had mild cognitive
impairment, compared to 14 percent of women.

“Our results,
showing combined rates of MCI and dementia at 22 percent highlight the
public health impact these conditions have and the importance of
finding treatments for them,” said Petersen.   Those with less
education or who were never married showed more decline than the others.