Smart lamp Nobi, which watches over older adults, is now available for people at home
Kick-off of Flemish-Dutch pilot project in preparation of international consumer launch in mid-2023
On International Day of Older Persons, the Belgian scale-up Nobi announces it is also available for people at home. Nobi is known for its smart lamp that, thanks to AI, focuses on fall detection and fall prevention in older adults. Nobi responds to the desire of people and society to help older adults live in their own familiar environment for as long as possible. This is no easy task because the risk of a fatal fall increases with age. The lamp has undergone testing since 2018 and has been approved by Belgian, Dutch, English and Irish residential care homes. To properly prepare for the international consumer launch in mid-2023, Nobi is currently offering interested Flemings the opportunity to be the first to install the smart lamp in their homes. Age tech as social ‘change maker’
Age tech as social ‘change maker’
A fifth of Europe’s population is now over 65, and a quarter will be so by 2040. People continue to get older, so the need for elderly care increases year after year. At the same time, the sector struggles with an acute shortage of care workers. To reduce the pressure on our healthcare system and keep the social cost of an ageing population under control, we should help people to live safely and happily at home for as long as possible. With an upcoming generation of elderly people increasingly embracing technology and innovative age-tech solutions poised to make a difference, we are on the verge of a shift in elderly care. Also, in terms of living at home for longer…
The underestimated impact of falling
(and not being found soon enough)
Falls are a major killjoy for living at home longer and in safety. More specifically, falls in which older adults remain on the ground for a long time, unassisted.
Some figures on falls among over 65s:
- One in three people over 65 fall at least once a year, and the number of falls increases as they get older1.
- 50% of the elderly who lay on the floor for longer than one hour die within six months of the fall2.
- 95% of the elderly who live independently possess an alarm button, but it is not used during 80% of their falls (not in the vicinity, in panic or they didn’t have the reflex to use it)3.
- The WHO4 estimates that the medical costs associated with falls by people over 65 will be $240 billion per year worldwide by 2040.
There is also the uncertainty and fear of falling among the elderly and their next of kin. In many cases, that lack of peace of mind leads to the decision to move to a residential care home. Preventing falls and being guaranteed quick help after a fall is the key to living at home for longer. Because it’s not the fall but the long and awkward time on the ground that has the greatest impact on one’s body and life span.
Technology for more quality of life
Nobi believes technology can make a substantial difference in quality of life. Based on its mission to help people live at home independently, safely and with dignity for as long as possible, the Belgian age-tech company developed smart AI lamps that focus on fall detection, fall prevention and, in time, fall prediction. Nobi looks like a stylish lamp that blends into the interior, but in reality, it’s a feat of cutting-edge technology that gives older adults a second lease of life at home.
Over the past year, the smart lamps were extensively tested (and approved) by residential care homes and hospitals. There, they contribute to even more focused care for residents and patients and relieve busy caregivers from repetitive tasks. This way, their limited time can be spent on those tasks that really make a difference to the lives and happiness of older adults.
In concrete terms, this is how Nobi works:
- 1) Nobi is like an invisible guardian angel that detects every fall in the house and provides quick assistance.
The smart lamp with AI technology watches over the safety of its occupant 24/7. When a resident falls, the lamp waits 30 seconds and then asks if everything is okay. If it’s not, the system calls a family member or friend. Nobi puts them in contact so they are reassured that help is on the way. If necessary, Nobi can open the front door so assistance can be provided even faster. This way, both the older person and their family are reassured that, should anything happen, help can be provided immediately. Nobi provides a sense of freedom for the occupant and their family. - 2) Nobi also focuses on fall prevention.
Among other things by automatically emitting soft lighting when the resident sits up in bed at night. If they stand up, the whole room lights up. This helps them find their way at night and avoid disorientation, tripping or bumping into something. - 3) Nobi analyses sleep for quick preventive action.
The smart lamp records the way its resident sleeps. This provides insight into their sleep pattern. That information can be accessed in the Nobi app by confidants, allowing possible conditions to be identified more quickly. - 4) Nobi respects privacy.
Nobi does not store any images or share them with others. The smart lamp analyses all images locally. These images are systematically overwritten if a fall does not occur. When a fall does occur, the lamp phones the specified confidant. That person also receives a text message. Only in this situation - Nobi notices this due to its smart technology - are images of the fall displayed in the Nobi app. The resident chooses what information they want to share. There are three privacy options for when one falls:- OPTION 1: Images cannot be viewed.
Contacts only receive a phone call, a text message and a notification in the app. - OPTION 2: Contacts can only view images showing stick figures.
Contacts see the resident’s location but cannot see the actual body. In some cases, these images provide first responders with additional information that helps them provide the right help even faster. - OPTION 3: Contacts can view complete images.
These are camera images in which one is recognisable. This can provide valuable information to quickly and correctly assess what help is needed and how to prevent future falls. This can be important information, especially if residents live further away.
- OPTION 1: Images cannot be viewed.
Flemish-Dutch pilot project
Over the past year, the smart lamp has been tested and approved by residential care homes and hospitals in the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK and Ireland. With the international consumer launch planned for the middle of next year, Nobi wants to take no chances.
“User-friendliness and service are priorities for us. That’s why we are starting this pilot project with a limited group of consumers only in Flanders and the Netherlands,” explains Roeland Pelgrims, co-founder of Nobi. “Valuable feedback from our initial home users and their families will be at the root of getting everything fully up to speed over the coming months. In return for their cooperation, we offer our first home users the opportunity to purchase Nobi at a reduced price. Older adults who want to be one step ahead will not only get excellent Belgian technology in their homes, they will also help shape the future of our smart lamps. We aim to make a difference in the lives of people around the world with these lamps in the years to come. Be quick because places are limited!”
Information for interested pensioners
Interested pensioners who live alone and want Nobi in their homes can surf to www.ikwilnobithuis.be (Flanders) or www.ikwilnobithuis.nl (The Netherlands).
Florentina (85) and daughter Helga share their experiences on Nobi
For more information or interviews with CEO Roeland Pelgrims
Liesbeth Pyck
+32 499 34 01 95
liesbeth@nobi.life
About Nobi
The Belgian Age Tech company Nobi was founded in 2018 and believes that everyone deserves to grow old in a dignified, safe and happy manner. The star of Nobi: its AI-powered smart lamp, which watches over the safety of older adults. At its core: fall detection and fall prevention. Nobi’s smart lamps support older adults at home, and partner with care staff in assisted living facilities, health care centres and service flats. They contribute to even more targeted care for the elderly and relieve busy caregivers from repetitive tasks. This way, their limited time can be spent on those tasks that really make a difference to the lives and happiness of older adults. Nobi currently has about 40 employees and operates in Belgium, the Netherlands, the United States, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, the UK and Canada. Nobi has an international advisory board with specialists in elderly care, medicine and smart home technology. Nobi was proclaimed ‘Most Promising Healthcare Innovation 2022’ by Flemish and Dutch healthcare professionals in February 2022. Its product and design have also won several awards. Nobi won the Henry van de Velde 2021 award twice in the categories Business Innovation and Consumer, and won a German Design Award.
1 https://www.who.int/ageing/projects/falls_prevention_older_age/en/
2Research AAFP (American Academy of Family Physicians) Falls in the Elderly
3 https://www.bmj.com/content/337/bmj.a2227
