AARP Showcases Age-Tech at CES 2020 with Curated Exhibit, Startup Pitch Competition and Developer Challenges

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 2019 - AARP will change the health tech conversation at CES 2020 by showcasing 12 new technology products that support the needs of adults over 50.

Located at Booth #41131 in the Smart Home Marketplace at Sands, AARP Innovation Labs will introduce new technologies, host panel programs and launch developer challenges to address the health and lifestyle needs of the growing population of adults age 50-plus. 

“This age-tech exhibit at CES 2020 will showcase the most innovative and compelling technology that can transform markets and change lives for people 50-plus and their families,” said Andy Miller, senior vice president of innovation and product development, AARP. “We encourage entrepreneurs to keep the power of the 50-plus market in mind when designing for all ages. These products, design challenges, pitch competitions and presentations at the AARP booth will highlight the ‘best in class’ companies and technologies getting it right for this market.”

Throughout CES, AARP Innovation Labs will: 

• Offer 24 programs featuring discussions with partners, such as Howard University, Upward Labs and MassChallenge, about how consumer technology can improve health and wellness for aging adults. 

• Launch the Alcove™ Playground, which is a developer ecosystem that makes it easy to build or integrate virtual reality experiences into AARP’s VR platform, Alcove™. In partnership with VR developer Rendever, the Alcove™ Playground was created to encourage developers to create more VR experiences that meet the needs of adults 50-plus, including content that combats loneliness and provides opportunities for users to “play” with friends or family. The Alcove™ Playground will officially launch during a panel with Rendever on Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 2 p.m. PST. Panel attendees will also have the opportunity to view a live build in Alcove™ Playground with Rendever CTO Tom Neumann on Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 1 p.m. PST. 

• Debut a number of products and partnerships including: 
  • HomeFit AR: an augmented reality app that can scan a room and reference AARP’s HomeFit guide to discover what improvements can be made to turn the house into a “lifelong home” devoid of high safety and mobility risks. 
  • Savo: an app that makes it easy for people to come together and support a loved one. Users can answer questions to create a task list and invite friends, family, coworkers and other members of the community to volunteer to help.
  • Artiphon: a company that designs smart instruments and apps that allow anyone to enjoy music-making.
  • VoiceItt: a speech recognition technology that translates unintelligible speech in real-time, enabling people with severe speech impairments to communicate by voice.
  • SingFit: an app that gives speech, occupational and dance therapists an easy way to implement singing experiences that improve cognitive function. 
  • Sana Health: a neuromodulation wearable that uses pulsed light and sound to reduce or eliminate persistent chronic severe pain. In Fibromyalgia, Sana reduced symptoms from severe to mild in two weeks. 
  • Embr Labs: the first thermal wellness technology company and the maker of the Wave, an intelligent bracelet that helps you feel colder or warmer by 5ºF.
  • Aidar Health: maker of MouthLab™, a non-invasive, hand-held, ‘Rapid Health Assessment’ device that is designed to be used at home. 

• Host a number of challenges and competitions, including the:
• CES 2020 pitch competition in partnership with Procter & Gamble and the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) Foundation: Selected start-up companies will present on AARP Innovation Labs’ stage on Thursday, Jan. 9 from 1 to 2:30 pm PST. CES attendees will be invited to participate in a live audience voting event to help select the two winning companies who attend AARP’s Grand Pitch competition in the fourth quarter of 2020.
• Menopause Hackster Challenge: Addressing a health condition where women commonly “suffer in silence,” AARP and Hackster will launch a new challenge at CES 2020 focused on the development of non-invasive tech solutions to combat symptoms associated with menopause. The challenge will be announced during a panel on the needed tech for menopause on Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 3 p.m. PST. 
• Alcove & Games for Change Challenge: Launching in-step with the debut of Alcove™ Playground, AARP and non-profit organization Games for Change will invite developers to create VR experiences that can enhance the quality of life as we age, and enable people across all ages to experience simple, beautiful and impactful VR. Select winners and finalists may have the opportunity to have their game published on the Alcove™ platform.
• Living in Motion Hackster Challenge: In partnership with the Avnet developer community, Hackster Challenge winners will be available at AARP’s booth to demonstrate the tech solutions they’ve built for improving mobility for aging adults. 

Since its launch in 2016, AARP’s Innovation Labs has engaged with the startup ecosystem to help bring the best solutions to market and to scale. For more information on AARP’s booth at CES and AARP Innovation Labs visit: aarpinnovationlabs.org.