NYU Researchers Create Smart Dresser to Help Dementia Sufferers with Their Morning Routine

When people develop conditions resulting in dementia, a lot of obvious problems begin to come up. How they can get around, how to provide for themselves, and so much more. But, there are less obvious challenges that can be just as unforgiving, such as simply getting dressed in the morning. To provide assistance that would normally need to be rendered by a caregiver, researchers from NYU have developed a smart dresser that walks a person through the process of getting dressed.

The five-door dresser, called DRESS, looks like any other, but with the addition of a tablet on top and LED light strips on the front of each drawer. When a person suffering from dementia is ready to get dressed, the tablet begins by showing them a picture of what they should put on, and turns on the light on the drawer that contains that clothing. A camera on the tablet then tracks tags on the clothes to ensure that they’ve been put on correctly.

If at any time something goes wrong, a caregiver can automatically be alerted. But, the real benefit of DRESS is the freedom and privacy it affords people living with dementia. The feeling of self-reliance that comes from being able to dress yourself — without worry that you’re putting something on inside-out or backwards — could potentially make a big difference in a person’s quality of life. DRESS is just a proof of concept for now, but the system is straightforward enough that it could be put into production fairly easily if the demand was there.