The biggest hurdle seniors have in adopting technology is not the learning curve, but the agility.
We tend to blame elders for not adopting the technology by building interface for youngsters and expecting elders to use it.
Cooey, an Indian Start-up, is changing the paradigm.
We are living in a world where breakthroughs have become the new normal.
In all honesty, the idea has been in the works for several months and team Cooey has been through the process of shortlisting the right interface for elders. After several simulations, they concluded that it was “VOICE” that’s going to make the difference. You know, they love talking!
Ninety percentage of human communication still happens through voice since it’s natural.
Maya, Cooey’s voice enabled chatbot, was the result of applying simple principles of interface design and AI.
Maya simplifies routine health monitoring tasks with simple voice commands. Voice interfaces allow its users to ask questions and receive answers through a natural dialogue.
For example, you measure your blood pressure or blood sugar, all you need to do with Maya is to tell her “my blood pressure is …. or my blood sugar is …., etc.” and it does the rest, meaning by it records your health vital in the logbook of your smart phone application with a timestamp. OR if you have a device that speaks up your vitals, Maya can be configured to take that request as well.
Its functions are available to use with any device, at any time, to interact with any application.
Amazon’s Alexa is a virtual assistant and enables many different skills. These skills are nothing but apps for specific needs. Each one teaches Alexa to do something new and Amazon calls it as “Alexa Skills.”
And “Cooey in Alexa” is a skill that helps you with healthcare needs. Your offline voice controlled personal assistant with a difference.
Now, with your hands-free commands, you are able to manage your health, organize your personal health record without having to touch your mobile device, which is awesome. “Cooey in Alexa” controls your device with voice commands, that you find in your Cooey app!
As these skills catch up, your voice is going to be the universal interface of your home and could well be a positive trigger for a healthier behavioural change!
