Component 2

Task One: Provide a history of the National Critical Technology (NCT) technical application your team is researching. Include at least three significant scientific discoveries, advances and milestones using documented facts and figures.

Alzheimer’s was first discovered by a German psychiatrist known as Alois Alzheimer in 1906 (Alzheimer's Association 2005). Since its discovery, no cure has been developed though several treatments have come out and genetic variations have been located.

http://www.alz.org/national/documents/report_alzfactsfigures2008.pdf

Alzheimer’s has always been a very difficult disease to treat or to produce technology to assist due to its great variance and psychological effect within its patients. Thus, it has not received much attention in the technology sector despite being one of the greatest economic and deathly diseases of this age.

http://www.silverbook.org/fact/133

Preventing patients from getting lost or using GPS has been a major function of many of these devices as Alzheimer’s is known to potentially kill its victims from outside influences such as car accidents, injuries, or natural barriers (Pickett 2006). This is quite commonplace with these patients as it has been estimated that an Alzheimer’s patient has only a 50% chance of remaining alive after 12 hours of having gone missing (Koester 1999). It has also been found that only 4 % of Alzheimer’s patients return home after wandering off (Parris 2002).

Firstly, the simplest tracking or monitoring device for Alzheimer’s is something like Safely Home which uses just a bracelet and an ID tag number to help police identify missing patients (Alzheimer Society of Canada). Though Safely Home was created in 1995, this was the first model type of device created for patients, a simple wristband with an ID tag attached.

Secondly, there have been radio-wave beacon wristlets which acted as tracking devices specifically for Alzheimer’s patients (Associated Press 2007). They can locate a person without hassle and do not require GPS systems to operate. These were the traditional improvement to the wristbands; however they have a shorter range than most tracking devices and can be taken off easily.

Next, devices like the ADT Home Security had been used to aid people from leaving their rooms in order to prevent them from getting lost or hurting themselves (ADT Security Services 2009). This was an improvement to the wristbands, as it is a superior “security” system with a preventive device which could actually stop the patient from exiting the room. Improved locks also work.

Currently, the most complex device has been robots which actually follow Alzheimer’s patients around during their daytime (Fitzgerald 2007). However, a cheaper device used for aiding Alzheimer’s is a device similar to MindScout. The creation of this device is an advancement in Alzheimer’s technology altogether because it combined computers and Alzheimer’s together. It also dived into the concept that Alzheimer’s patients forget tasks and need to be constantly reminded.

Finally, the most effective tracking device is actually a general system, the GPS. GPS systems or global positioning systems have been a major breakthrough in aiding Alzheimer’s patients.

An example of a typical GPS tracking device would be the GPS S-911 Personal Locator, a device which has a global positioning system and a one-key emergency dialing system (Modus Home 2007). It can be used to track patients via the internet using a satellite—an important plus point for tracking technology. Also, Radio-frequency identification or RFID may be a possibility in the near future, yet has not been explored yet.

Task Two: Identify two scientists or engineers who have made major contributions to the development of the technical application your team selected and explain how their work is related.

The first scientist that will be discussed is Roger L. Easton. Roger L. Easton is an American scientist most famous for his pioneering work of the creation of Global Positioning System or GPS. Although the GPS is widely known as team effort from the Department of Defense, Easton was the main inventor and the head of the NRL scientists which created it. GPS wouldn’t have been possible without Easton as two of his earlier patents formed the basis for the system: "Navigation System Using Satellites and Passive Ranging Techniques" and “Time Navigation and Navigation Technology Satellites”. In fact, his concept of “satellite-carried precise clocks” formed its very backbone.

Easton’s work was so revolutionary that he won many awards for it including the prestigious National Medal of Science from the United States Government and even placed his name on its patent.
This invention created what promoted a major breakthrough in tracking device technology. This was due to the GPS’s ability to provide greater accuracy, span, and precision when locating those tracked. Prior to this invention, radio waves or lesser methods were used by civilians and police to search for those lost. However, now it is possible to provide a global viewpoint and span for the search of persons. Much of Easton’s other work assisted and conceptualized in improving tracking devices in general.

Much of Easton’s other work as a scientist is related to tracking devices. He is also widely known for inventing specific modifications to locating systems similar to the two patents mentioned above. Another contribution was his contribution to the Naval Space Surveillance System which became able to “detect and track all types of Earth-orbiting objects”.

GPS today is very important in Alzheimer’s care and tracking systems. It is the main and most modern method currently used and would not have been possible without Easton’s pioneering work. GPS is also used in many other areas; in fact, just several years ago, in 2005, it was estimated that GPS will be valued at $34 billion in services.

Sources:
http://www.nrl.navy.mil/pressRelease.php?Y=2005&R=60-05r
http://www.gpsinventor.com/

Steven N. Rosenberg is another scientist which promoted major contributions to modern tracking device technology. He is known mostly for his patent on the “human motion tracking device” (HMT) with David Page which provided another dimension to tracking device technology. This device provided for computer systems to be able to use 3-D position data using sensors [an accelerometer and a magnetometer]. Its major goal was to allow computers to detect human body movements with an application. Although Rosenberg only published a single patent, his contribution to tracking technology could become huge if combined with GPS technology.

Rosenberg’s work is a major contribution to tracking device technology as it allows for 3-D movements to be recorded by a computer program—providing greater accuracy for a tracking device installed with GPS technology. In addition, the human motion tracking provides for location data to be transferred to a storage system and be updated instantly—allowing individual data to be shown on a computer screen rather than just a person’s location. This assists in vaguely determining the patient’s activities rather than just location. 

http://www.freshpatents.com/Human-motion-tracking-device-dt20090219ptan20090046056.php
http://www.faqs.org/patents/app/20090046056

Task Three: Explain how the technical application your team is researching is currently being used to solve the problem in Component One. Include documentation regarding at least two benefits and two limitations.

Our technical application, Anti-Alzhei, uses the concept of a GPS positioning system and a computer interface program to create a device which would allow Alzheimer’s patients more flexibility when traveling around. The computer interface program uses human motion tracking technology and is equipped with sensors to provide greater safety for the patient.

As a specification, the human motion tracking technology along with the GPS program will translate the patient’s location into computer usable data. This data will then be utilized into a built-in program [with Ajax components] which will determine the patient’s location [similar to Google Maps™] and send it to the pair hand-held.

The first benefit is that it gives patients greater flexibility while giving caretakers a larger amount of confidence in patient’s safety. The reason for this is because this device is programmed to record the entire pathway of the Alzheimer’s patient’s route through GPS positioning and automatically send this information to the pair device held by the caretaker. The GPS is also located in the mini-sensors. Thus, the caretaker is always altered of the patient’s location. If the patient goes out of the bounds set by the caretaker, an automatic call or vibrate is set off to alert them of their location. Another reason the caretakers gain confidence is because of its interface which sends messages to the sensors whenever a traffic light is approaching or the patient is crossing the road in a city landscape.
Anti-Alzhei reduces the amount of hours and effort caretakers have place in when caring for the Alzheimer’s patients. The Anti-Alzhei is designed so that it can store data regarding the tasks which should be done that day and then repeat them to the patient during the appropriate times. The caretaker can set the time face and will be immediately notified when the patient has completed certain tasks which are identifiable by the program from the sensors. In other cases, the patient will have to complete the task through constant repetition throughout the entire set time. If preferred, the caretaker can set up a video imaging system which allows him or her, through a screen; view the patient’s progress with the daily activities (mainly in the room).

However, Anti-Alzhei has its limitations as it cannot definitely determine if a patient will follow the sensor’s directions or just completely ignore them. It could lead to suicide from constant repetition ro other forms of death. Anti-Alzhei cannot know anything for sure nor can it surely protect. It limits freedom, but it also gives a lot of freedom.

Another limitation is that Anti-Alzhei cannot actually determine what the patient is actually doing during a time period. This lack of supervision could lead to the emergence of too much freedom, leading to dangerous activity, wandering, or illegal actions. In addition, in most cases, the device if not modified cannot actually know when the patient actually finished doing something and will continuously repeat the action until the caretaker removes it. Since the caretaker does not know when the patient has completed the action, the device will continuously run.

Finally, this device is not meant for patients with severe Alzheimer’s to the effect that they cannot even walk or eat. This is meant for people who have a guardian but can perform some daily activities. It cannot help everyone.

Task Four: Based on what you have learned in Component Two, explain how science has advanced technology regarding the technical application your team has researched.

Science has developed greatly throughout the years and will greatly change the face of Alzheimer’s altogether. So far, numerous developments in GPS technology and in tracking devices from the radio-wave beacon bracelets to following robots have required numerous sectors of science and outstanding advancements. The interface which our product uses, GPS technology and an embedded map program with the new concept of sensory wireless fidelity requires changes similar to other products Alzheimer’s patients’ use. Science had to advance technology computer science and mathematics to allow for the complex infrastructure that GPS and radio-wave beacon provides.