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July 27, 2003 Technology Makes Life for Aging America 

Aging?  Hmmm...

My note:  What's this about Aging?

Another Herald Article from March 2003

Transportation
For seniors who are grappling with waning mobility, Segway Human Transporter is an innovation that could change the way they move.

The machine allows a person to travel up to 12.5 mph while standing upright. With little effort, the rider can turn in any direction - leaning to go forward and backward or turning the steering grip to turn left or right.

The device was invented by Dean Kamen and unveiled in 2001. Kamen describes the machine as "the world's first self-balancing human transporter."  Kamen created the machine by modeling it after the human body. Instead of legs, it has wheels. Instead of muscles, it has a motor. Instead of a brain, it has microprocessors and sensors, which help the machine balance, much like a human's inner ear.

Tom Kufahl, 59, of Rib Mountain decided to buy a Segway after he was found to have Still's disease, which limits mobility and energy.

Kufahl said he thinks the device, which costs about $5,000, is the future of transportation, especially for those who are losing their mobility.

"I think it's the greatest thing," Kufahl said. "It can help a lot of people become mobile again."
Homes of the future
Advancements in home design are helping aging Americans live independently longer.

The goal is to extend the independence of aging baby boomers, said Elizabeth Mynatt, associate professor of computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Mynatt and several associates at the institute are working on something called the Aware Home, which includes a kitchen computer system that records what a person does.

"Designing technology for those who are aging is hot right now," Mynatt said. "Although a lot of these products won't hit the majority of consumers quite yet, they will change the way seniors live their lives."

Read another article from the Wausau Herald March 2003

 

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