February 8, 2021 – Vuzix Corporation, a supplier of smart glasses and augmented reality (AR) technology and products, has today announced that KDDI Research, Inc., a research institute that combines the think tank functions of the KDDI Group with R&D functions, has developed a smart hands-free nursing care support system that employs the use of Vuzix smart glasses.
The support system, developed in conjunction with Zenkoukai, a social welfare corporation that operates and manages nursing care welfare facilities in Tokyo, displays nursing care-related information using Vuzix smart glasses, as well as reads it aloud, by combining facial recognition and speech synthesis technology developed by KDDI Research. By using the system, staff members without detailed resident information are able to have this information immediately presented to them, even that of new residents.
Demonstration experiments using the system were conducted at Zenkoukai nursing homes from October to December 2020 and confirmed that it would be useful for work in nursing care sites, according to KDDI Research.
KDDI added that in order to provide optimal care for residents, it is important for employees of nursing care facilities to be able to keep track of patient information such as what condition each resident is currently in and what kind of care they need. Additionally, the nursing care industry tends to have a high staff turnover rate compared to other industries, a shortage of human resources, and the number of residents that one employee responds to tends to increase, according to the company. Furthermore, residents may not be equipped with ID tags for personal identification, and there is a need for a hands-free system that allows employees to quickly identify and view information about residents in order to provide improved services.
“Healthcare opportunities continue to steadily expand for Vuzix around the globe and this smart nursing care support system developed by KDDI Research in conjunction with Zenkoukai is yet another example of how using smart glasses can make a real difference in people’s lives,” said Paul Travers, President and Chief Executive Officer at Vuzix. “We look forward to working with KDDI Research in their effort to bring greater safety, efficiency and productivity to the nursing home industry.”
KDDI Research added that it will continue to work with Zenkoukai with an aim of improving the quality of services provided at nursing care sites by continuing efforts towards a practical use for AR glasses at such sites.
Image credit: KDDI Research
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Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.