고령자를 위한 웨어러블 디바이스 개발 동향 연구

Abstract

The proportion of the elderly population (65 years old and above) is steadily growing, as the birthrate is declining while the average life expectancy is increasing. Statistics from the South Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare indicate that South Korea already entered an aging society in the 2000s and it will enter a super-aged society in 2026. Due to the rapid transition to an aging society and the increasing number of senior citizens who live alone, the demand for monitoring systems and smart telemedicine systems for the elderly is increasing. The development of wearable devices for the elderly is considered as a solution to these issues. The objective of this study is to present the potential and direction of wearable devices for the elderly by identifying recent development trends through analyzing the types and characteristics of currently developed wearable devices for the elderly. The results of this study show that wearable devices for the elderly can be divided into wearable devices for patients with dementia, wearable devices for patients with hypertension and diabetes, and other wearable devices. Currently developed wearable devices for patients with dementia include a shoe insole which can predict the occurrence of dementia, and a wristwatch to prevent patients from going missing. There are also wearable devices for patients with hypertension or diabetes in the market. Accessories and skin patches, which can measure blood pressure or blood glucose, are good examples. There are anti-shake smart spoons, smart hearing-aids, and smart medicine cases as well. Much fewer wearable healthcare devices have been developed for the elderly, compared to those developed for the general public. However, it is clear that the rapidly growing elderly population have a greater demand for wearable devices than any other age group. Therefore, future wearable healthcare device development should focus on products for geriatric patients.