What if your refrigerator could suggest a recipe that used only the foods
on its shelves? What if your washing machine automatically set its water
temperature after sensing the condition of your clothes? Or, what if your
medicine cabinet could remind you to take your allergy medication when the
local pollen count spiked into the red zone?
Such futuristic devices may be in your home sooner than you think.
Technology researchers at Accenture conduct pioneering research, and
envision how technology will impact our lives in the future. We're looking at
how emerging technologies, placed in ordinary household devices and connected
to the right source, can deliver information and services to people when and
where they need it.
One example is the Online Medicine Cabinet, a
prototype developed by Accenture that demonstrates how technology will enable
us to take more control over our own healthcare. It combines sensors with the
power of the Internet and embedded computers to create a "situated portal"—a
smart appliance that continuously monitors the needs of people and responds
with appropriate, individualized services.
By using a camera and face-recognition software, the
cabinet can identify different persons in a household, and their special needs.
For example, if an individual suffers from allergies or asthma, the Online
Medicine Cabinet will provide information such as the day's pollen count, and
remind that person to take their medicine. Sensors on prescription bottle
labels allow the cabinet to identify each drug and alert consumers if they have
taken the wrong bottle—or if it's the right bottle at the wrong time. This is
vital, because at present, nearly one third of all hospital visits result from
consumers not following their doctor's orders or taking the wrong medication.
The Online Medicine Cabinet also enables consumers to monitor vital
signs, such as blood pressure, heart rate and cholesterol levels, and
immediately share this information with their doctor via the Internet. The
cabinet also provides a trend chart, so individuals can track their progress.
If the chart indicates a problem tendency, the system will suggest that the
user make an appointment with their doctor. Naturally, appointments can be made
via the cabinet's Internet connection. This will cut down on routine doctor
visits, saving time and money for consumers, doctors and
insurance companies.
What's the lesson for forward-looking enterprises? The combination of
Internet connectivity, miniaturized electronics, and robust back-end systems
will enable thousands of creative solutions. Consumers will do their grocery
shopping through a screen on their refrigerator door, buy clothing through a
connected closet, and tune their car's engine by plugging in to an online port
in their garage. Companies that create and deliver these solutions will gain
competitive advantage. Further, multiple applications may
be integrated at the household or office level, becoming part of a total
broadband solution.
For more information on the Online Medicine Cabinet, please
contact us.
The Online Medicine Cabinet is another example of
Silent Commerce—the next big
wave of technological change that is revolutionizing business!
Publications Magic Medicine Cabinet: A Situated Portal for Consumer
Healthcare
Dadong Wan
First International
Symposium on Handheld and Ubiquitous Computing (HUC '99), 27-29
September 1999, Karlsruhe, Germany
[Abstract]
[Paper
(PDF, 3.65MB) |
ZIP]
PDF Help The Online Medicine Cabinet delivers a wide variety of
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