Glickman prize awarded to three technologies for the elderly
The three winners were chosen by the Glickman family, Joint Distribution Committee-Eshel, the Social Affairs Ministry, the Health Ministry, and academics and technology experts.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFRomi Gouves and Nevo Almalem, creators of the Clanz project, win the Glickman Prize.(photo credit: Courtesy)
Three technology projects created in the attempt to assist the elderly were awarded grants of $25,000 in total by the Glickman family from San Diego.The Glickman Prize is awarded annually to entrepreneurs who develop innovative solutions for issues that plague the aging, their families and their environment.The three winners were chosen by the Glickman family, Joint Distribution Committee-Eshel, the Social Affairs Ministry, the Health Ministry, and academics and technology experts.Romi Gubes and Nevo Elmalem's Clanz project, which was the first-place winner, uses visual and audio image analysis to detect abuse and neglect. The system is particularly effective for the elderly in nursing homes, children and toddlers and for those with special needs. After diagnosing that the user is under distress, the technology is able to notify someone to help out, thereby acting against abuse and providing a sense of security to the most vulnerable.The creators of Changing Reality win the Glickman Prize.In second place, the Changing Reality project by Prof. Yair Bartal, Nofar Laor and Gregory Fonstein provides caretakers and therapists with a virtual reality (VR) experience of the debilitating Alzheimer's disease, allowing them to better understand and empathize with their patients. The user steps into the shoes of an elderly women suffering from Alzheimer's and experiences the daily frustration and anxiety that she goes through performing simple, basic tasks.The creators of the MUCA project win the Glickman Prize. (Courtesy)The third-place winner, the MUCA project, was created by Dafna Avni and assists the elderly with their TV-watching enjoyment by using a unique algorithm that analyzes the broadcast and custom alters its audio and visual aspects for the needs of the user. The system can slow down speech, decrease background noise, adjust colors and tones, adjust size of subtitles, and enhancing the brightness of the face of the speaking character.
