Researchers at the University of Granada (UGR) have devised a new system powered by artificial intelligence that provides reminders of small, everyday tasks to people with Alzheimer’s disease and other memory-impaired patients.

"It is a prototype which, in a non-intrusive manner, facilitates the control of the activity of people with special needs and increases their independence", said María Ros Izquierdo from the Higher Technical School of Computer Engineering of the UGR.

The system works by placing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) labels on the objects the patient uses the most or those that are most crucial, such as a bottle of medication. A central system monitors the patient’s interaction with the objects, creating a recorded daily routine that the system will learn to expect from the user. If the routine is broken, a signal will be sent to an electronic device that will emit an alarm reminding the user to find and interact with the object that was forgotten.

People with memory problems, particularly the elderly, often reject help from others in an attempt to maintain their independence, accord to the research team. This system may aid them without the social difficulties of having another person fill that role.

Still in the testing stage, it may be some time before the system is ready for use. In the meantime, those with memory problems may find some relief with ginger or Gingko biloba supplements.