Using AI techniques to fight against loss of autonomy of people with Alzheimer’s disease

Digital technologies, especially the IoT and AI, are making it possible to design and develop digital aid and assistance systems and devices for people suffering the debilitating effects of an illness or disability. More than 1.2 million individuals in France are affected by Alzheimer’s. With reimbursements for medical treatments for Alzheimer’s (which are currently ineffective) having been discontinued in August 2018, patients and carers are now looking for alternative solutions. The young Nantes-based startup Smart Macadam is developing a platform called Mementop, a digital system designed around AI technologies and intended to provide day-to-day help and assistance to patients and their carers. The challenges involved in this work, which could potentially also have implications for other medical conditions, are as complex as they are fascinating.