CES 2021: Nobi Smart Lamp for monitoring falls
At CES 2021 Belgian start-up Nobi is introducing a smart lamp which has been designed to help provide help when older people fall.
Available for purchase by the end of 2021, the Nobi can be hung in private accommodation or a serviced flat. With the help of artificial intelligence, the lamp detects when the occupier falls and ensures that help is provided. According to the company, one in three people aged over 65 fall at least once a year, and 66% of them are injured seriously.
Approximately half of elderly people who lie on the floor for longer than one hour die within six months of the fall, statistics show. WHO estimates that the medical costs associated with falls from people over 65 will be $240 billion per year worldwide by 2040.
If a resident does fall, the intelligent lamp notices this immediately, asks if everything is okay and calls family members in cases of emergency. If necessary, the emergency services are notified, and Nobi opens the door for them. In addition to fall prevention and fall detection, Nobi also ensures safety and quality of life by monitoring air quality and providing fire and burglary detection. It can even share a photo and call family members and friends.
Says Roeland Pelgrims, co-founder of Nobi:
“Nobi’s mission is to help the elderly live at home on their own as long as possible without a care in the world. That’s the wish of many people over 65. That’s why we designed Nobi as a lamp that feels familiar in every interior.
“Nobi monitors older adults and provides communication between the resident and family members or caregivers. This really provides peace of mind.”
The Nobi team started working on the concept in 2018, and the finished product will be available for purchase by the end of 2021. The lamp is currently being tested and trained in residential care centres and service flats. It recently won two Henry van de Velde design awards in the categories “Business Innovation” and “Consumer”. Nobi is also launching a €3 million fundraising campaign.
Nobi claims an average apartment can be equipped with Nobi from €2490 if smart lamps are purchased for every room. A monthly care subscription of €19 is also required. Alternatively, the lamps can be rented for €119 per month including the subscription package.
About the Nobi lamp
• 24/7 monitoring: Nobi works without batteries and is alert at any time of the day.
• Discreet: unobtrusively present in the form of a lamp.
• No adjustments needed indoors: easy installation and no need for new cables. The ceiling light is simply replaced by Nobi or Nobita (the smaller version that’s also suitable for humid rooms like the bathroom)
• Privacy: Nobi smart lamps are equipped with a powerful processor that allows the images to be analysed in the lamp without being sent to the cloud. The lamps only communicate events such as falls, burglaries and smoke detection. The option to share images in case of emergency is determined by the resident. He/she also decides who has access to their data and alerts.
• In addition to fall detection, the Nobi smart lamps can also prevent falls, detect fire, monitor the air quality, detect burglary and recognise patterns.
