An augmented reality platform which places a virtual ‘yellow brick road’ within community spaces to help people with dementia find their way around has been named as semi-finalists in the Longitude Prize on Dementia.

A collaboration of Dorothy, Care City, and TPXimpact has been awarded one of 24 Discovery Award grants worth £80,000 as part of the £4m international competition funded by the Alzheimer’s Society and Innovate UK and designed and delivered by Challenge Works. The team will now work alongside people living with dementia and their carers to ensure technologies are intuitive, easy-to-use, and able to adapt to their changing needs.

Enabling independence

Traditionally, the Dorothy app has been used within care homes to help navigate and move around through Augmented Reality (AR).

It also uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help with reminders of daily tasks, such as taking medication – all  while keeping them connected to their caregiver.

It’s vital people with dementia are able to live independently, doing things that bring them fulfilment, for as long as possible. And that’s exactly what tech innovation can provide

The prize money will be used to develop the app into a platform ‘The Dorothy Community,’ where any organisation can offer indoor navigation, making them more accessible and dementia-friendly while enabling independence for the user.

Matt Skinner, chief executive of Care City, said: “We are thrilled to have won an award to build on the Dorothy App prototype.

“Expanding the scope of this technology for use in a variety of environments will allow us to grow the Dorothy community and help more people living with dementia to regain some of their independence and confidence.”

Improving experiences and outcomes

David Robson, lead service designer at TPXimpact, added: “Dementia is one of the biggest health challenges of our time, which is why we are proud to be supporting Care City and Dorothy in testing if Dorothy can help people to live more independently.

“This disease affects such a wide range of people and through working together to create this innovative, forward-thinking solution, we can take an important step in improving the lives, experiences and outcomes of those living with dementia.”

Advances in AI could lead to new technologies that would be transformative for people like my wife – but they need to be easy to use, intuitive, and adapt to the unique needs of each person

And Kate Lee, chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “It’s vital people with dementia are able to live independently, doing things that bring them fulfilment, for as long as possible. And that’s exactly what tech innovation can provide.

“Today’s Discovery Award winners all have the capacity to develop cutting-edge tools that bring hope to the here and now, making a tangible difference to people’s lives.”

A worldwide challenge

Worldwide, around 50 million people have dementia and there are nearly 10 million new cases every year.

The Longitude Prize on Dementia is driving the development of personalised, technology-based tools that are co-created with people living with the early stages of dementia, helping them live independent, more-fulfilled lives and enabling them to do the things they enjoy.

The competition itself has also been co-designed with people living with dementia and the judges were advised in their decision making by the prize’s Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP).

Trevor Salomon, whose wife Yvonne was diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer’s disease in 2013, is chairman of the Longitude Prize on Dementia’s Lived Experience Advisory Panel.

Technologies shouldn’t be developed in a bubble; they need to be designed and tested by the people who will ultimately benefit from them

He said: “Before her diagnosis, my wife astonished everyone with her ability to do anything she set her mind to. She was an amazing cook, gardener, and there was nothing she couldn’t make or repair on her sewing machine.

“If we could access technologies that help extend her independence and her enjoyment of those pastimes, it would be so worthwhile, so I’m really impressed by the innovative thinking and creativity of the Discovery Award winners.

“Advances in AI could lead to new technologies that would be transformative for people like my wife – but they need to be easy to use, intuitive, and adapt to the unique needs of each person. “Technologies shouldn’t be developed in a bubble; they need to be designed and tested by the people who will ultimately benefit from them.”