Age-Well partners with Ikea, U of T to launch studio for testing tech for seniors | BetaKit
Startups, researchers, and investors plan to work together on tech for at-home aging.
The non-profit Age-Well has partnered with Ikea and the University of Toronto to open an Innovation Studio at 800 Bay Street in downtown Toronto that they hope will foster work on technology for seniors who want to stay at home as they age.
“Our ultimate goal is to enable older adults to live independently for longer and enhance their quality of life.”
Alex Mihailidis, Age-Well
Designed to resemble a one-bedroom apartment, the space includes health monitoring, smart home systems, voice-activated assistants and “other cutting-edge technologies” to show how tech can support independent living. A service robot carries groceries to the kitchen, for instance, while a smart stove beeps out a warning if it’s left unattended. A cycling “exergame” (a stationary bike connected to a screen)helps maintain both physical and cognitive health.
In addition to serving as a showroom, the studio is billed as a “hub” that furthers Age-Well’s work linking startups with large companies, researchers, senior living organizations, investors, and others who want to collaborate or test their work in realistic conditions. The first Age-Well affiliated startups to use the facility are remote monitoring company AltumView, exercise game maker Centivizer, medical alert firm Chirp, and Tochtech Technologies, which makes several products including the stove safety solution.
“Our ultimate goal is to enable older adults to live independently for longer and enhance their quality of life while fostering collaboration between researchers, companies, and the community,” according to Age-Well Academic Director Alex Mihailidis.
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Support comes from Age-Well startups as well as the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. Ikea furnished the studio. Age-Well is already a member of the university’s Institutional Strategic Initiatives program meant to back interdisciplinary research on major issues.
Age-Well claimed that there was an “urgent” demand for aging technology as one in four Canadians could be over 65 by 2035, according to the National Seniors Strategy for Canada. Investment in technical solutions could help seniors stay in their homes for longer and with greater independence.
Age-Well was founded in 2015 with the help of the federally funded Networks of Excellence. It aimed to connect tech developers eager to support healthy aging and has run competitions to spur interest. In 2022, it and Montreal’s MedTeq received $47 million CAD toward the envisAGE Network, an effort to fund projectsthat advance seniors’ autonomy, connectivity, and health.
Feature image courtesy of Age-Well Network of Centres of Excellence (NCE).
