robotics

CES 2025 is wrapping up soon -- here's another look.  As always, it is an opportunity to contemplate the state of tech innovation, wading figuratively past announcements of cars and TVs. Browsing through the many articles and news websites, looking for what could benefit older adults in the context of making lives easier, more sociable, more functional and empowered, these five are attention-worthy.  All material is from their announcements and/or websites.  As with previous CES 2025 blog posts, it is important to note that offerings may be concepts, not yet products, and that some may not enter the commercial or US market at all. The important aspect is that the underlying technologies are a step (or more) forward in possibilities to help older adults.  Here's hoping that next year has even more to consider.

Maybe it really is time for the 'virtual' AgeTech suite. As HLTH 2024 wrapped up this month, including its plethora of small-scope, standalone AgeTech offerings, look over at the world of Digital Health. A drop in funding precipitated a rethink on the part of some companies – causing them to acquire functionality rather than build it themselves – and saving time and money. Duh.  Looking at the 58 companies that made up the AgeTech exhibit hall at HLTH, they are prime candidates as well for combination into 'virtual' suites. No integration required, just marketing awareness that in the eyes of the ultimate user, family member or reseller, one offering is complementary to another.  And more to the point, that user may need all of them at one point or another, as physical wellbeing, mental capacity, and social connections -- will likely evolve over time.   

The show is over, the press dispersed, the awards won.   CES 2024 is over, with 135,000 attendees, and AI as the story of the show, and according to AARP, offering the promise of better aging and even helping to fix the caregiving crisis.  These assertions have been made before, of course. Consider 2020, right before the start of COVID-19. Or CES 2019, when Google Assistant was everywhere and today, when it appears to be ‘going down the tubes.’  In tech, nothing is forever.  CES can provide an opportunity to put a new face, new version, on products that appeared previously (see Nobi and Zibrio Advantage below.)  CES 2024 brought ten offerings of new tech for older adults into view.  And from the same show, here are 8 more:

What is the AARP AgeTech Collaborative? AARP’s AgeTech Collaborative launched in 2021 with a splash (and 50 startups) that has widened into an age wave, or a sort of Match.com for age-related companies to find others, including collaborators, sponsors, pilots, and more. Today’s collection includes 104 companies, many of whom have gone through the AgeTech Collaborative Accelerator process, including pitch competition, Accelerator program enabling entry into the AgeTech Collaborative program. The categories span Caregiving, FemTech, Health, Mobility, Savings & Planning, and Social Connections.

It’s possible to participate in CES – and not be a startup.  While startups were MANY that sought a presence in the older adult technology marketplace, now known as AgeTech, many firms were there who had been at CES before. They went back because of the business benefits of being at the show, post-pandemic, with a chance to interact with some of the 115,000 attendees.  Observers can also watch the whole thing after the fact, like many from around the world will do. Here are six prior attendees in the older adult, wellbeing category that serves older adults. All information is from press releases or the company websites.