Sharp tests the welfare check for the elderly via TV

The city council of Kitamoto in Japan, together with Sharp, is starting a trial to monitor their well-being based on the TV behavior of the elderly. The test takes into account, among other things, the times that the TV is on and the choice of channel.

Kitamoto City and Sharp’s system is based on Sharp’s Mimamori service, according to Tech-On. This service, introduced in March 2011, makes it possible to forward information about TV usage to an email address. The trial of the new, expanded service not only collects information about the times that a TV is on or off, but also stores information about channel selection.

This information is automatically sent by e-mail to, for example, a municipal authority or a residents’ organization of the building where the person in question lives. The well-being of the elderly can then be monitored on the basis of historical usage data, according to Tech-On.

In addition, elderly people who participate in the trial are, for example, presented with an information page from the residents’ association as standard and regional information is shown on the screen. The elderly can also pass on their physical condition via TV, with a choice between ‘good’, ‘normal’ and ‘not so good’.

The city council wants to use the test to investigate the effectiveness of the system, to identify possible problems and to take measures based on the test to better monitor the well-being of the elderly. Twenty households will participate in the trial, which will run until September 30.