Better still, for squeamish emergency room pansies like myself, this is a "brief" outpatient procedure, say the inventors at VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies.

Just pop a telescope in your bad eye and you'll be avoiding home furniture by the evening. Well, after a round of intense physical therapy anyway. It seems the new vision takes some getting used to, although none of the 200 patients who tested this over the past five years reported any falling down or injury, said Dr. Henry Hudson, a retina specialist in Tuscon.

And while the devices won't allow patients to view faraway stars (not that powerful), they will allow them to see partial faces where there was once a gaping hole in their vision. "People can use it to recognize faces in a social setting," said Dr. Janet P. Szlyk. "That's a huge advance."

A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel gave the tele-eyes their unanimous approval in March, and the full board is expected to give its blessing later this year. Europe is already using it. [NYT via Nick Bilton's Twitter]

I strapped on Honda's fresh-from-the-labs Stride Management Assist and Bodyweight Support Assist rigs, and both devices made me feel totally unstoppable, albeit in a goofy sort of way. The whole time I felt the need to go do something great, like go on a cross-country jog or blast into outer space to join a robot colony.

I'm definitely not the target demographic for either device, which Honda's Fundamental Research Institute hopes will help mobilize and rehabilitate Japan's rapidly aging population or lessen the leg fatigue of factory workers who stand and crouch for hours on end. But of course, this didn't stop me from jumping at the opportunity to strap them on and stomp around; this is the first time Honda's prototypes have been presented on U.S. soil.

Stemming directly from Asimo research, Honda's learned so much about how bipeds walk that they can now produce devices that react to human motion in real time to support the motion of walking, using just a few simple sensors each. The magic is in the processing software which was refined with Asimo.

The first one I strapped on, the Bodyweight Support Assist (the one with the saddle) reduces the load on the user's legs to help with physically demanding activities. This one was definitely a bit more cumbersome to wear, but aside from riding up your crotch a bit (it doesn't exert upward pressure, much to Mahoney's relief), the experience is pretty cool. The system operates using just two tread sensors in the soles of the sweet built-in Velcro sneakers and two lift sensors in the legs which register the upward motion of your stride, as well as the orientation. There is zero delay, and you never feel like the device is controlling your movement. It reacted instantly to my motions and enhanced everything I did, like an exoskeleton.

Mundane activities like walking up the stairs and crouching down suddenly became fun and much easier—the saddle provides anywhere from 6.5 to 18 pounds of support when you lean back in it, which isn't enough to sit down on, obviously, but it's certainly noticeable and makes crouching easier. Personally, I had a little issue navigating the stairs and nearly fell backwards, as you can see in the video. Apparently my feet were too small for the sneaker sensors to pick up properly, making the whole device jerk my legs around more than was expected on the stairs. But even Asimo takes a tumble now and then, so wearing his legs, it was only natural that I had a stumble at some point. But when the shoes fit, the experience is absolutely natural.

Second was The Stride Management Assist, which straps on like a belaying harness and weighs practically nothing. It regulates the person's stride and walking pace, making walking much easier for the elderly or disabled while still building up their own muscles. The device was by no means discreet looking, but frolicking around in it felt very natural—just better, as my movements were enhanced almost immediately. The robo hip-huggers definitely perked up my posture and made me move around more confidently, giving gentle support to my legs during all parts of my stride. Walking up and down stairs, you can feel the complex processing involved, with more support given on the way up than on the way down.

Both devices have a sleek look, which Honda hopes to refine even further as they reduce the weight. Battery life for each is around two hours on a single charge, which will also get better as batteries get lighter. Even though Honda's tested both devices in real-world scenarious—the Stride Management Assist in a hospital, and the Bodyweight Support Assist in one of their factories in Saitama, there is no timeline for actual retail availability, but Honda does intend to come up with a finished product for sale eventually.

Which means most people will have to go on dreaming of the cyborg life, but hopefully not for much longer.

According to a government panel on Wednesday, the robots are needed to provide day-care and nursing services to Japan's rapidly aging population. Since over 41 billion of the projected 62 billion dollar robot market is supposed to be dedicated to care, it's important to start thinking of the regulations that need to be put in place.

For instance, Three Laws of (Nursing) Robotics:

1. Always coo appreciatively at pictures of your human's grandchildren
2. DON'T TALK SO DAMN LOUD
3. Be spongebath safe

[Japan Today]

The weak and enfeebled can now pour liquids safely and confidently—without annoying spills or stress to shoulders and elbows. It's available for $16. [Amazon via BookofJoe]

Once users register objects with Mamoru-Kun or "little protector," the device will constantly monitor them in a specific area using several cameras. If the object is misplaced, Mamoru-Kun will either point towards its location or give you verbal directions. It can even instruct its big brother the “Home Assistant Robot” to retrieve the object for you. The designers hope to have the device commercialized by 2018, which is right about the time I will start to forget where I put my reading glasses. Thanfully, Mamoru-Kun will be right there to tell me that the glasses are hanging from my neck. Awesome. [Robot Watch via Crunchgear]

[Palm Pistol via I New Idea Homepage via OhGizmo]

The core muscle trainer is designed for low impact exercises, but does include "moderate" and "advanced" programs for when you want to hold onto the handle for dear life. The nine speeds (think Sybian) and seven programs are controlled via an LCD screen on the pommels. Just plop down $1,800, and this bucking grandma machine is yours, today! P.S. — This thing is out there, but it's still infinitely less sad than what Jesus dug up in May. [Hammacher Schlemmer]

The iShoe actually began life as an experiment Lieberman conducted as an intern at NASA. Astronauts routinely return home with a host of balance issues thanks to the weightlessness of space, so Lieberman and the rest of the iShoe team created a new algorithm that was capable of looking at the pressure distribution of proprioceptors on the feet and analyze what that data meant. Proprioceptors, in case you didn't know, are sensory receptors which tell your brain where body parts are in relation to other body parts and the objects around you.

It took a family emergency to show Lieberman that the iShoe had ramifications beyond just a few drunken astronauts. When Lieberman's grandmother had a bad fall, he knew the tech could be used as a "balance diagnostic" to help doctors and their patients prevent falls before they occurred. The device's super-sensitive insole would measure the pressure of the foot and report data to the doctor, and in extreme cases an alarm would alert family or care givers to a fall. "Help, I've fallen and I can't get up," would be quickly replaced with "Hey, I can walk just fine! Get off my damn lawn." [MIT]

The conceptual system starts with a simple one-touch router which gives free ADSL by having targeted 50+ advertising. Then the "Betty" unit is the comms core, with slots which you pop specialized keys into: a "friend key" means you could easily send a message to that person, for example. Those "friend" keys are given by individuals to their friends, providing a one-stop digital life database and controllable access via a registration website.

While it seems like a great design idea to allow tech-wary people to get online, Jive's got one major flaw that I can spot: not much can beat a real letter or a phone call to your older relatives. [Yanko design]

These organic Ink sensors can be utilized in the thousands on a sheet layered between a room's carpet and carpet pad. Currently, the researchers are working on a system that would feed the data collected by the sensors to a computer for display and electronic analysis. Caregivers could then use this information to determine whether or not the elderly individual was in danger. If all goes well, the device could be used in real world testing scenarios inside two years. All-in-all, a device like this would have a significant advantage over other warning systems given the fact that the individual in question would not actually have to be conscious to summon help. [University of Missouri]

The car systems, which will are now going into development, will be able to determine whether or not the driver was doing anything dangerous or erratic, and control for that or even act to prevent that kind of behavior.

There might be a system that uses both climate control and navigation to make sure the drivers stay alert, for instance. The system might automatically slows the car down if it senses an irrational punch of the gas pedal. There's no mention of the opposite, however. You know, the system that speeds the hell up when it determines that you've just merged onto a 75mph freeway and you're only doing 34. [SMH]

Other features that don't annoy the person who's calling you are text-to-speech for email and web page text and a pedometer to figure out how much you're exercising. If you ask us, we'd just insert this function into those dish washing robots and have them follow us around as a bodyguard/companion. – Jason Chen

What's that you say? Phone for seniors slows down voices, eh? [Digital World Tokyo via Textually]

Well if the Sedgebrook Retirement Community in Chicago, IL is a good indicator of Blue Ocean's success, then they are definitely onto something cause these geriatrics are hooked. Most notably with Wii bowling, which is set have it's own 20-person tournament.

I bet you Sedgebrook has the highest number of grandkids coming to visit as well. I know I would have went to see my Grandparents more if they were going to try and rock me at Wii Sports. Love you Gram & GP.– Ben Longo

Nintendo console has officially gone geriatric [DailyTech]

For every patient, Motiva monitors ongoing health status, usage patterns and regularly queries patients about changes in their knowledge, motivation and confidence levels - insights nurses can use to adapt care plans and gauge impact on long-term behavior...

Nothing says "great mother's day present" like looking out for your mom's health!

Product Page

Motiva is Watching You [Medgadget]

The software on the phone "detects" the elderly by their speech patterns—Slower, less energetic and trembling, and then adjusts. Nice to know that the engineers at Motorola have finally quantified what it means to be elderly. Good work chaps! Time to have a drink and neglect your poor, destitute mother.

Patent [US PTO via Mobiledia]

If we are what we use, then it seems the elderly people in today's society are cranky, stupid and tacky. Of course, looking at products made for the elderly really says more about what product designers and manufacturers think the elderly are. Even as technology has gotten smaller, more powerful and cheaper, the design aesthetic for the pre-Boomer generation is still exemplified by orthopedic shoes. But this won't last for long. As our society matures, and Baby Boomers start swelling the ranks of the "elderly," we will have to start coming up with better-looking, more useful products for seniors.

The number of people over the age of 65 is going to double over the next quarter-century, thanks to the aging of the Baby Boom Generation. The people who came of age in the late '50s to early '70s watched a man land on the Moon and lava lamps gurgle; they aren't going to be satisfied with products that are as utilitarian in form and function as the ones their parents currently use. Boomers will bring their great influence and purchasing power to bear on businesses and demand experiences that are more elegant and agile. As a result, the engineers who currently dominate design for the elderly must learn to work with designers, just as they have in the high-tech product world.

But we owe it to today's seniors to start making better products that meet their special needs now. Recently I've been designing medical devices aimed largely at the elderly, and I've begun to realize that our collective understanding of their needs could use some refinement. When we talk about the needs of seniors there is a tendency to imagine someone whose eyesight, dexterity and hearing are so impaired that they are incapable of having an experience; it's therefore assumed that they will make do with, or perhaps even prefer, a mechanistic, bulky product that smells like a hospital. Orthopedic shoes haven't changed much in 40 years, even in color. Wheelchairs for the elderly tend to look like erector-set robots, with exposed motors and oversized wheels. A doorknob handle meant to help those with dexterity issues may give grandmother leverage, but it also screams out to houseguests, "I'm losing my grip!"

Specialty online retailers, like Gold Violin and Senior Shops, eschew the traditional e-commerce catalog structure in favor of a more practical set of categories like "Handle Better," "Hear Better," and "Work Better." This is a step in the right direction, towards making online shopping easier for seniors by focusing on value rather than jargon. However, the products offered tend to be "after-market" accessories to help seniors cope with things that weren't designed with them in mind: Button and zipper closers, seat pads and magnifying glasses dominate the offerings.

One encouraging trend is the development of products that aren't explicitly designed for the elderly market, but cater to their needs nonetheless. The OXO/Good Grips products, for example, have influenced culinary product design to be more usable for everyone. These products feature oversize handles and non-slip materials molded into pleasing shapes, which appeal to chefs regardless of their physical faculties.

Mobility products are also becoming better designed, allowing the disabled to become more self-sufficient—not to mention more stylish. Sports wheelchairs are starting to influence motorized versions, introducing more color and modern shapes that move beyond the hospital aesthetic.

But these are small improvements, and we need to do better. Product designers and developers can start by creating products and experiences that both function well and blend into the aesthetics of a household, rather than sticking out like ugly sore thumbs. Natural materials and refined colors make products feel more human, addressing a great deal of the "techno-phobia" ascribed to the elderly. While older people may not be comfortable whizzing around a PC, they aren't strangers to technology. Seniors today are used to accomplishing many things through people, not machines. If our machines worked more like people, using natural language and more welcoming user interfaces, our elders might find them less intimidating. We need the next generation of technology to take after seeing-eye dogs, not robots.

We need exercise equipment for the mind and body, not just products that treat the inevitable decline. Products that help older people travel more easily, and social networks that help seniors volunteer and cooperate will make sure that they stay connected and involved. Classes and education for seniors are critical, and featured prominently at senior centers and JCCs. We can use technology to bring education to more people, and re-imagine it as the purpose of life for the elderly—to grow their minds and stay engaged. Our seniors will be living longer, as well as better. Our challenge is to make their lives meaningful.

Gretchen Anderson is a Senior Design Analyst for frog design.

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