Smart Glasses Use Facial Recognition, Synthetic Speech to Aid Patient Care

KDDI Research and Zenkokai are using Vuzix’s Smart Glasses to improve the quality of nursing care. To that end, the two companies have developed a new system that uses the smart glasses to provide nurses with accurate information about the patients in Tokyo care centers.

Zenkokai is a social welfare specialist that manages welfare facilities in the Japanese capital, while KDDI Research is an R&D and think tank division of the broader KDDI Group. The new nursing solution uses facial recognition from KDDI to verify the identities of individual patients, and then displays a patient’s care information with the Vuzix Glasses. In doing so, it allows nurses to provide the proper treatment, even if they are not familiar with an individual patient.

In addition to providing visual data, the Vuzix Glasses use KDDI’s speech synthesis technology to read care information aloud. Nurses that are wearing the Glasses will receive patient information in real time, giving them the tools they need to tend to anyone in the facility.

Zenkokai demoed the new system at some of its nursing homes between October and December of 2020. The various parties are hoping that the Vuzix glasses will ensure a consistent level of care despite the high employee turnover rates in the nursing industry. The solution gives nurses a hands-free way to call up patient information, and allow them to identify patients who may not be wearing an ID tag.

“This smart nursing care support system is yet another example of how using smart glasses can make a real difference in people’s lives,” said Vuzix President and CEO Paul Travers. “We look forward to working with KDDI Research in their effort to bring greater safety, efficiency and productivity to the nursing home industry.”

Vuzix has repeatedly highlighted the utility of its glasses in the healthcare industry. The company’s M400 glasses have been used to facilitate remote surgical training, and it has updated its Zoom and Webex conferencing apps to better meet the needs of healthcare professionals. The glasses also offer temperature and COVID-19 screening capabilities.

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(Originally posted on Mobile ID World)