WASHINGTON, DC—AARP announced today that HomeEXCEPT Inc. has been selected as the Grand Prize winner of the AARP Innovation Champion Awards competition for its service Smart Sensors for EXCEPTional Peace of Mind, a platform that allows family members to monitor loved ones by using thermal sensors used to track movement.

“The AARP Innovation Champion Awards was created to recognize and celebrate the extraordinary efforts of companies that are aligned with AARP’s core mission – to empower people to choose how they live as they age,” said Anne Marie Kilgallon, AARP’s Vice President of Enterprise Strategy and Innovation. “We received hundreds of submissions and the decision was not an easy one, but in the end our panel of judges agreed that HomeEXCEPT Inc. best exemplified this mission. We thank everyone who submitted for their impressive work.”

The AARP Innovation Champion Awards also honored six finalists, one in each of six categories. Demonstrating the importance of ageless design around the world, finalists came from Canada, Israel and Korea in addition to the United States. The finalists and Grand Prize winner were selected by AARP’s panel of judges: Bill Horne, Executive Editor, AARP The Magazine; Rich Tehrani, Group Editor in Chief, TMC: Technology Marketing Corp.; Robin Raskin, Founder, Living in Digital Times; Patricia Moore, President, Moore Designs;  Amy Goyer, Author and AARP’s Family and Caregiving Expert.

Following is the list of winners per category:

Health and Safety Awareness

Company: HomeEXCEPT, Inc.
Winning submission: Smart Sensors for EXEPTional Peace of Mind
What it does: Uses a thermal sensor to identify objects and movement in the home including humans, pets, fire, stove, open window etc. The data moves over cellular IoT to the company’s cloud platform. In fractions of a second the AI interprets the data into insights that are then made available to users through the web, email, and instant messaging.

Daily Essential Activities

Company: SilverRide
Winning submission: SilverRide
What it does: As the only ridesharing service specifically designed for the aged/disabled population, SilverRide is a valuable service for those who need a little extra support. By providing transportation, assistive support and companion services, SilverRide makes it possible for seniors and disabled clients of all ages to maintain normal routines.

Caregiver Quality of Life

Company: Neofect
Winning submission: RAPAEL Smart Glove Home
What it does: Rapael Smart Glove is a biofeedback system which includes an exo-glove with built-in sensors and an artificial intelligence software to help patients with neurological and musculoskeletal injuries regain their hand mobility. Sensors embedded in the device transmit data wirelessly via Bluetooth technology. The rehabilitation solutions were designed to allow therapy training through games. Each game invigorates the muscles, and stimulates visual and auditory senses to reinforce cognitive functions and accelerate neuroplasticity.

Care Coordination

Company: CareXc
Winning submission: CareXChange: The Online Village for Caregivers and Their Loved Ones
What it does: CareXChange is an on-line village for caregivers. Its technology is developed for this audience to have one integrated solution that helps them navigate the complexities of finding resources, understand public and private policies, effortlessly create their own care plan.

Social Well-being

Company: Intuition Robotics
Winning submission: ElliQ, the active aging companion
What it does: ElliQ is an AI-driven active aging companion that keeps older adults active and engaged in various technologies including video chats and social media. Using machine learning, ElliQ learns the preferences, behavior and personality of its owner, and proactively recommends activities based on that history and recommendations by family. ElliQ also has the ability to monitor wellness and the environment in the home.

Transition Support

Company: Caresponsive

Winning submission: Caresponsive Voice AI Post-Discharge Follow Up Service

What it does: Caresponsive is developing an automated post-discharge follow-up call service which uses artificial intelligence and natural language processing to engage patients and record and analyze their responses to generate summaries and insights. The voice-enabled tool will be developed with an understanding of the human condition and will have the potential to cater to individuals of all ages.

In addition to the cash prize, the Grand Prize winner will receive:

• A trip for two company representatives to Washington, D.C.
• Tour for two of AARP’s innovation lab, including a meeting with senior AARP innovation executives
• Attendance and recognition at AARP HQ event
• A paid advertisement in i3 magazine, the flagship magazine of the Consumer Technology Association
• Plus prizes listed below

Finalists will receive:

• Private consultation on product/service with an AARP Innovation Champion
• A commemorative plaque acknowledging the company’s achievement
• Inclusion in an AARP news release announcing the ICA winners
• Inclusion in AARP social media promotion of ICA winners

Submissions were evaluated against a range of criteria including:

• Ageless Innovation: does the entrant deliver innovation that caters to all age groups?
• Design: does the entrant challenge the status quo in look and feel, user interface, user experience, durability, etc?
• Benefits: how does the entrant make a difference in people’s lives?
• Technology: does the entrant use new technology or use existing technology in a new way?
• Business model: does the entrant have a new approach to its revenue plan?
• Safety: does the entrant provide enhanced safety compared to competing offerings?

Click here for contest rules. 

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About AARP
AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With nearly 38 million members and offices in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, AARP works to strengthen communities and advocate for what matters most to families with a focus on health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also works for individuals in the marketplace by sparking new solutions and allowing carefully chosen, high-quality products and services to carry the AARP name.  As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the world’s largest circulation publications, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media.