AI software that can be embedded into smart glasses has won a £1m prize for technology designed to assist people with dementia. The technology, known as CrossSense, is built into chunky, black-rimmed frames equipped with a camera, microphone, and speakers, and features a chatty assistant called Wispy.
Wispy can offer prompts and feedback during tasks through verbal cues and floating text, as well as engage in light conversation and aid reminiscences. The software won the Longitude Prize on dementia, supported by Nesta and funded by Alzheimer’s Society and Innovate UK, which aimed to encourage technology that helps people with dementia stay independent for longer.
Szczepan Orlins, chief executive of CrossSense Ltd, said the prize money would help bring the product to market. A smartphone version is expected by the end of 2025, and CrossSense-enabled smart glasses are anticipated in early 2027. The glasses can be fitted with prescription lenses and are compatible with hearing aids.
Prof Julia Simner of the University of Sussex tested CrossSense with 23 pairs of people living with dementia and their carers. The study found that without the glasses, participants could name only 46% of household items correctly; with the glasses, the figure rose to 82%, and an hour after removal it remained at 78%.
Dr Foyzul Rahman of Loughborough University noted that the breakthrough lies in offering real-time prompts during tasks, but called for larger studies and raised ethical concerns about data collection. He also highlighted a battery life of just one hour for the smart glasses, requiring a portable power bank.
Carole Greig, 70, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s almost three years ago and tested the glasses, said: “For people with the condition like mine who’ve got cognitive impairment, it’s just an amazing thing. How fantastic that we can be given some more independence.”
