Pioneering assistive tech finalists selected as part of important global dementia challenge prize
Five finalists with innovative assistive technologies that can transform the lives of those with dementia have now been selected as part of the Longitude Prize on Dementia.
The finalists will share £1.5 million to develop their solutions in pursuit of the £1 million first prize to be awarded in early 2026.
State-of-the-art AI glasses to help people with dementia navigate their environment and a smartwatch that learns daily routines are among five groundbreaking technologies awarded £300,000 as a finalist in the £4.4 million Longitude Prize on Dementia.
The prize is rewarding the creation of new assistive technologies that use AI to transform how people live with dementia after a diagnosis so that they can maintain their independence for as long as possible.
“Currently, around one million people in the UK live with dementia,” explained Kate Lee, CEO of Alzheimer’s Society. “A figure projected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040.
“AI presents exciting opportunities to help those with dementia stay active and independent, to enable them to remain in their own homes for as long as possible. By harnessing the power of technology, we can support memory recall and assist individuals in maintaining their daily routines.
“The five finalists of the Longitude Prize on Dementia are tackling these challenges in innovative and diverse ways. I look forward to seeing how their technologies evolve over the next year.”
Announced in early 2022, the Longitude Prize on Dementia is driving the creation of personalised, technology-based tools that are co-created with people with the early stages of dementia, helping them to live independent, fulfilled lives so they are able to do the things they enjoy. The prize is funded by Alzheimer’s Society and Innovate UK and delivered by Challenge Works (part of Nesta).
24 semi-finalist teams were chosen in June 2023, and now the final five teams have been selected. The five teams will each receive £300,000 to develop their technologies in the next 15 months.
The five Longitude Prize on Dementia finalists are shared below.
1. CrossSense by Animorph, UK
Animorph’s high-tech glasses help people with dementia to recognise objects and people and remember what to say or do to improve memory recall. This will help them to carry out daily activities independently, such as making a cup of tea or greeting a loved one. The glasses, which also work with existing prescriptions, aim to delay the progression of memory loss and use synaesthesia – associating senses such as sights and sounds.
2. Theora 360 by Clairvoyant Networks, USA
Clairvoyant Networks’ smartwatch can predict and prevent falls using football pitch sensor technology. This groundbreaking update will use the technology that maps how a football moves on a pitch (Ultra Wideband) to establish when falls are likely to happen and ultimately prevent them.
This technology, in the form of a smartwatch designed for older people, could anticipate slips at certain points in a daily routine (e.g. before bed) or in certain locations (e.g. the bathroom). By detecting and calculating fall risk, the smartwatch could limit risk of hospital admission which can speed dementia symptom progression.
3. AUTONOMOUS by Associação Fraunhofer Portugal Research, Portugal
Associação Fraunhofer Portugal Research’s smartwatch-based app provides guidance on daily routines. This AI software processes data from a smartwatch and sensors around the home to learn about its users’ activities and gently guide them on their routines, reminding them of actions they may have forgotten through personalised cues such as illustrations (e.g. an open fridge or running tap), text, audio, and vibrations. If they are not responsive, it will alert a carer. The software will become more intensive as a person’s dementia progresses, helping them to stay in their own home and community for longer.
4. Supersense Technologies by Supersense Technologies, UK
Supersense Technologies is an at-home monitoring-box that protects privacy. When a loved one is in the early stages of dementia and is still able to live independently, family members can sometimes worry about their wellbeing.
This ‘sensor’ box and automated messaging system scans rooms to help remotely inform family members of the loved one’s wellbeing via Whatsapp or text message (e.g. “Your mum is up and about, and the heating came on at the usual time this morning”). This provides reassurance for both the family member and user, but it does not use cameras or wearables, connecting caregivers without infringing on privacy.
5. Memory Aid by the MARCS Institute at Western Sydney University and Deakin University’s Applied AI Institute, Australia
The MARCS Institute at Western Sydney University and Deakin University’s Applied AI Institute have developed a home assistance device resembling a traditional telephone.
This familiar-looking device offers a screen for video calls, which can also display personalised reminders of daily activities. The phone connects users to a reassuring voice-recording of their choice that shares prompts on daily activities and displays images of items in that person’s house. It also makes video-calling loved ones as easy as picking up the phone to empower people living with dementia to do things they love that bring meaning.
“The Longitude Prize on Dementia was launched to help meet the urgent need for intuitive, AI technologies that could support independent living for people with dementia,” said Tris Dyson, Managing Director at Challenge Works.
“Last year we saw some incredible ideas come through the 24 semi-finalist entries and it was a challenge for the judges to select the five finalists announced today. This announcement proves the critical role innovation, and challenge prizes, have to play in helping to solve some of the biggest challenges of our time.”
In addition to the financial reward, non-financial support will provide crucial insight and expertise until the end of 2025. The support includes access to potential product users, mentorship, and expert advice on technical and business aspects of the innovation, to ensure products are scalable. It will also facilitate knowledge sharing between participants. All teams will be working with people with lived experience to ensure solutions are fully co-created.
In early 2026, one winner will receive a prize pot of £1 million. This will follow a judging process with the international Judging Panel and Lived Experience Advisory Panel.