CrossSense Wins £1 Million Longitude Prize for Dementia Technology

CrossSense, artificial intelligence software integrated with smart glasses, has been awarded the £1 million Longitude Prize on Dementia. The technology is designed to provide real-time assistance to individuals with dementia by guiding them through daily activities and aiding cognitive function. The prize aims to foster technological solutions that support independence for people living with dementia, a global population projected to reach 150 million by 2050.

The £1 million Longitude Prize on Dementia has been awarded to CrossSense, an AI software integrated with smart glasses, designed to provide real-time assistance to individuals with dementia.

Introducing CrossSense and Wispy: An AI Companion

CrossSense integrates into smart glasses equipped with a camera, microphone, and speakers. At its core is Wispy, an AI assistant that offers prompts and feedback through verbal cues and visual text.

Wispy engages in conversation, aids in reminiscence, identifies everyday objects, and guides users through various daily activities such as dressing, household chores, and making tea. The AI companion is designed to learn a person's routines and adapt as their condition progresses. Caregivers can input details about the wearer's care level via an accompanying application.

The Longitude Prize on Dementia: Fostering Independence

The Longitude Prize on Dementia is an initiative by Challenge Works and Nesta, funded by Alzheimer's Society and Innovate UK. Its objective is to encourage the development of personalized, technology-based tools that help individuals with dementia maintain independence in their homes.

Dementia, a progressive condition with no current cure, affects approximately one million people in the UK, a figure projected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040. Globally, the number of people living with dementia was 57 million in 2019 and is projected to exceed 150 million by 2050.

Market Launch and Future Availability

Szczepan Orlins, CEO of CrossSense Ltd, stated that the prize money will support the product's market launch. A smartphone version of the technology is anticipated by the end of 2024.

The smart glasses are expected in early 2027. CrossSense Ltd supplies the AI software, which is compatible with various hardware frames capable of accommodating prescription lenses and hearing aids.

A four-week pilot program for the smart glasses is scheduled for the last quarter of 2026. This program will be conducted in users' homes to gather data. The technology is projected to cost approximately £50 per month for a subscription, with the smart glasses themselves estimated to cost up to £1,000, with potential for future price reductions.

Initial marketing will target consumers directly, with aspirations for eventual availability through the NHS, local authorities, and care providers.

Promising Initial Test Results

Professor Julia Simner of the University of Sussex led a study, not yet peer-reviewed, that tested CrossSense with 23 pairs of people with dementia and their carers.

The study indicated that participants' ability to correctly name household items improved significantly, from 46% without the glasses to 82% with them. This benefit largely persisted, with a 78% correct identification rate one hour after the glasses were removed. The trials also suggested improvements in other cognitive abilities, including visual-spatial understanding, short-term memory, and working memory.

Participants' ability to correctly name household items improved from 46% without the glasses to 82% with them.

A Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP), comprising 11 people with dementia and their carers or former carers, provided advice on innovator designs throughout the prize process.

Expert and User Insights

Dr. Foyzul Rahman, a cognitive decline expert at Loughborough University not involved in the project, acknowledged CrossSense's innovation in offering real-time task prompts. He recommended larger, controlled studies to confirm meaningful daily benefits and raised ethical considerations regarding data collection and consent. Dr. Rahman also noted a challenge in the smart glasses' one-hour battery life, which would necessitate a portable power bank.

Carole Greig, a 70-year-old individual living with Alzheimer's who participated in testing the glasses, commented on the technology's potential to enhance independence and quality of life for individuals with cognitive impairment.

The technology has the "potential to enhance independence and quality of life" for individuals with cognitive impairment, according to user Carole Greig.