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January 7, 2016

Maine brothers team with Washington company on Alzheimer's mobile app

File Photo / Amber Waterman James Ferguson, founder of Alba-Technic in Winthrop, is working to add a removable visor to his helmet so the wearer can use it comfortably outdoors as well as indoors.

Three Maine entrepreneurs, Aron Semle and his two brothers, have teamed with Redmond, Wash.-based Sensoria to develop a mobile application for caregivers of patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

The product, upBED, is a smart phone application for the patient, family and other caregivers powered by sensoria’s IoT-enabled smart garments. The app connects to Sensoria’s smart sock (see video) to detect when a patient leaves the bed and texts caregivers immediately.

“We feel the caregiver market is primed for innovation, and we’re excited to apply Sensoria’s wearable technology to this new market,” Aron Semle said in a statement. He made the announcement from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Alzheimer’s Association figures say more than 5 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, and 60% of them are prone to wandering. In later stages, they are prone to falling.

Mainebiz earlier wrote about Alba-Technic LLC, a Winthrop company that is making a helmet to prevent brain injuries during falls by seniors. The Winthrop company was one of five companies across the country to receive $250,000 to help develop technologies to protect against head injuries.

The company in December received a $250,000 grant to help develop technologies to protect against head injuries in other fields as well. It will compete with the other four firms for a $500,000 grand prize from the National Football League, Under Armour, GE and the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology.

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