Solutions for the ageing population
MONASH University Malaysia’s Plenary Theatre was a hive of activity on Aug 4 as seven finalists of the inaugural Gerontechnology Challenge 2018 presented their ideas on how they could improve the lives of older people to a panel of judges at the grand finals.
The challenge, which was held in partnership between Monash University Malaysia’s Gerontechnology Laboratory and Petrosains, was open to those residing in Malaysia aged 18 and above or those aged 13 to 17 (with adult supervision). Individuals and teams of up to four members were eligible to participate in the challenge.
Participants must propose product ideas such as mobile applications, wearable devices or assistive devices for older people within the following domains of human activity – health and self-esteem, housing and daily living, mobility and transport, communication and governance, and work and leisure.
Applications opened in March this year and semi-finalists were chosen in April. In May, participants attended a Design Thinking Workshop to meet up with mentors and experts for advice and idea refinement. The participants received a RM200 seed fund to work on their final product, which were presented at the grand finals.
In his opening address during the event, Monash University Malaysia’s vice-president of research and development Prof Mahendhiran Nair highlighted that ageing is a major issue across the globe that needs to be addressed, and more work needs to be done in Malaysia as well as the Asean and Asia-Pacific region to help the ageing population integrate, assimilate and contribute.
Prof Mahendhiran added that the challenge was about pushing the next generation of leaders to think about solutions to this problem, and perhaps come up with an innovation that will transcend other developing countries.
Chief executive officer of Petrosains Tengku Nasariah Tengku Syed Ibrahim highlighted that no aspect of modern life is untouched by technology but noted that many of the older generation are not adopting technology into their lives.
“We cannot assume that it is because they are technophobes or traditionalists. Most of them are not, according to current research,” she said, adding that many of today’s products or services are targeted at specific demographics when they should be adopting Universal Design Principles or designed for inclusivity to enable people of all abilities to benefit from what is being offered.
“Many of us have yet to fully explore the potential of how products can be appropriated into our lives,” she said, adding that Petrosains believes in igniting the passion for lifelong knowledge, hence its
Ageing is a major issue across the globe that needs to be addressed, and more work needs to be done in Malaysia as well as the Asean and Asia-Pacific region to help the ageing population integrate, assimilate and contribute. Prof Mahendhiran Nair
partnership with Monash University Malaysia's Gerontechnology Laboratory to do more for older people.
The seven teams presented their ideas to the panel of judges, which included Assoc Prof Dr Teh Pei Lee from Monash Malaysia, Tengku Nasariah, Prof Dr Tengku Aizan Hamid from University Putra Malaysia and Prof Lee Chien Sing from Malaysian Chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ Technology and Engineering Management Society (IEEE Malaysia TEMS).
Team Drop the Stick’s prototype of an improved version of a walking stick, which has wheels, can detect dangerous surfaces and limit the need for excessive hand movements required by a traditional walking stick, impressed the judges, who awarded them the grand prize of RM5,000.
Based on their research, the team discovered that falling is the No.1 cause of accidental death among senior citizens while people who use walking aids are four times more likely to fall compared to those who do not use them. They noted that some common walking aid problems include lifting and excessive arm movements, which are known to cause fatigue and increase the risk of falling.
Team Ergonomers came in second with their smart portable walking chair idea while Team 0 (1) came in third with their Gold Buddy mobile application that functions as a data collection portal to make the lives of older people simpler. The two teams walked away with RM3,000 and RM1,000 respectively. All winners received a certificate from Petrosains.
The event was chaired by Assoc Prof Teh and supported by IEEE Malaysia TEMS and the Health and Wellbeing cluster of Global Asia in the 21st Century multidisciplinary research platform.