A shoemaker and a technology company are teaming to develop footwear with a built-in GPS device to help track down "wandering" seniors who have Alzheimer's disease.
The shoes are being developed by GTX Corp., which makes miniaturized global positioning satellite tracking and location-transmitting technology, and Aetrex Worldwide, a footwear manufacturer.
"The technology will provide the location of the individual wearing the shoes within 30 feet, anywhere on the planet," said Andrew Carle, an assistant professor at George Mason University who was an adviser on the project.
"Sixty percent of individuals afflicted with Alzheimer's disease will be involved in a 'critical wandering incident' at least once during the progression of the disease — many more than once," he said Friday.
Embedding a GPS device in a shoe is important because Alzheimer's victims tend to remove unfamiliar objects placed on them, but getting dressed is one of the last types of memory they retain, Carle said.
A "geo-fence" could be placed around a person's home and a "Google Map" alert sent to a cell phone, home, or office computer when a programmed boundary is crossed.
"The shoe . . . should help authorized family members, friends, or caretakers reduce their stress and anguish by enabling them to locate their loved ones instantly with the click of a mouse," said Chris Walsh, chief operating officer of GTX Corp.
The companies said they plan to begin testing the product by the fourth quarter of the year.
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