SenseCam - Camera with a Mindful View
SenseCam Camera May Help Patients With Memory Loss & Alzheimer's
Nov 5, 2009
We are all going to have to face the inevitable one day - either we are going to get old and start losing our faculties and/or we will find ourselves caring for our loved ones who acquire Alzheimer's, amnesia, dementia or other neurological diseases that cause memory loss. Some of our worries may, indeed, be over as the innovative SenseCam has been developed to help the “memory deficient." This little wearable camera is the latest assistive technology apparatus in the fight for the “battle of the mind” and offers much hope to patients who are losing their memory.
"The SenseCam is all about recalling a piece of information someone has, rather than creating a memory.” These words spoken by Dr. Emma Berry, a reknown, clinical neuropsychologist, are proof that the memory recall camera is promising. Dr. Berry has been working with memory-loss patients using the camera.
How this ground-breaking device works is fascinating. This camera is worn at chest height around the neck like a neck chain and captures images automatically at a low resolution (about 1/3 of a mega pixel) with a fisheye lens, at a rate of two per minute. The shots may be low quality, however, are adequate to trigger our brains to access previously locked information. The SenseCam also has several sensors built-in, specifically, to detect infra-red, heat, heart rate and pressure to record and monitor vital statistics and other essential health data.
Dr. Emma Berry has been conducting clinical trials with Microsoft Research - the camera's producer. In the initial trial, a women suffering from severe amnesia was given the camera and repeatedly reviewed episodic images of her daily life taken on the camera with her husband. This walk down memory lane prompted memory recall as the woman viewed the images and the memory came flooding back – as she put it! This subject described events in detail and could explain things that were not in the images of the SenseCam. After this phase, researchers took the images away from the woman and she was able to recall events up to ten months later. While not conclusive, Dr. Berry believes these results have been encouraging.
Currently, the SenseCam is being tested with a small group of people who have Alzheimer’s.These Alzheimer patients have demonstrated similar results in findings that have yet to be published. Dr. Berry commented that “When the patients viewed SenseCam images of events that they had experienced, they were able to recall the events three months later without needing to review the images.” Previously, patients suffering from memory loss would keep diaries but this has had limited success in creating enduring memories. “We think that Alzheimer’s patients are able to store the memory, but, are unable to access it,” said Berry. “Even motion-blurred pictures have an effect on recall” she added.
The SenseCam certainly sounds promising and was invented in 1999 by Lindsay Williams, a researcher at Microsoft’s research laboratory. Williams desired to build something to solve simple memory problems such as losing keys.
Dr Steve Hodges, principal hardware engineer and manager of the sensors and devices group at Microsoft Research Cambridge adds: “It’s clear that SenseCam has a huge potential both as a memory aid and as a tool for clinicians to better understand cognitive brain functions and further advance the study of neuroscience. We’re really excited to be able to extend the project to actively involve so many leading researchers and clinicians around the world. Ultimately, if we can conclusively demonstrate that SenseCam can improve memory, and thereby the quality of life, in patients with amnesia and memory loss from neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, that would be an absolutely tremendous result.”
Vicon, a developer of motion capture products used in Hollywood, will soon be mass-producing this useful gadget as the “Vicon Revue.” As with all introductory technology, the SenseCam will come with a hefty price of around $800, however, for those in need, this little device with a big view may prove priceless.
SenseCam makes sense. Not "Total Recall," but close. This innovative invention is sure to empower senior citizens and those who have memory problems, to live a better quality of life.
http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/cambridge/projects/sensecam/
References: CNN Health 2009
Microsoft Corporation
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