Samsung's New App Helps Alzheimer’s Patients Recall Memories

Alzheimer’s disease is a type of incurable dementia that causes progressive memory loss. As the disease advances, it robs sufferers of their world and all the meaning in it—taking away conversations, daily life, events and connections between the patient and their loved ones. 

Samsung created the “Memory Recaller,” an innovation that gives meaning back to an Alzheimer patient’s life. The easy-to-use mobile application was developed in consultation with dementia specialists at Praram9 Hospital to help bring patients back from the isolation caused by memory lost.

The application detects the person standing in front of the patient by utilising facial recognition technology and the mobile camera. It then informs the patient of their relationship and the person’s name using auto-speech. As well as ‘recognising’ people for the patient through “Memory Recaller,” the application has an “Activity Recaller” function, which helps the patient keep track of completed activities, eliminating unnecessary repetition.  

Although the application cannot stop the disease from progressing, it works to improve the quality of life of patients living with Alzheimer’s. It recalls the connections that make life meaningful and gives patients a world they can hold on to.