WASHINGTON: The first shoes with built-in GPS devices – to help track down dementia-suffering seniors who wander off and get lost – will hit the US market this month, according to a manufacturer.
GTX Corp said the first batch of 3 000 pairs of shoes had been sent to the footwear firm Aetrex Worldwide. The shoes would sell at about $300 (R2 400) a pair, and buyers would be able to set up a monitoring service to find “wandering” seniors suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
Andrew Carle, a professor at George Mason University’s College of Health and Human Services, who was an adviser on the project, said the shoes could save lives.
“It is especially important for people in the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s,” Carle said.
“They might be living in their home, but they are confused. They go for a walk and they can get lost for days,” Carle added.
The GPS system, which is implanted in the heel of what appears to be a normal walking shoe, allows family members or carers to monitor the wearer and to set up a “geofence” that would trigger an alert if the person strayed beyond a certain area.
The shoes are being developed by GTX Corp, which makes miniaturised GPS tracking and location-transmitting technology, and Aetrex.
Carle said the original idea was to develop the shoes for children and long-distance runners, but the makers changed the plan when he offered his advice, noting that the devices could also help ease a lot of anxiety about seniors who wanted to remain active. – Sapa-AFP