ExaWizards, a pioneering tech company established in 2016, has created an AI gait analysis system called CareWiz Toruto to assist elderly care facilities in Japan in engaging potential customers and increasing revenue. This innovative system provides gait analysis to assess the physical health of aging individuals. Elderly care facilities can utilize the analysis results to communicate with seniors, helping them set up their health targets or purchase assisted devices.
ExaWizards, which went public two years ago, primarily focuses on developing modules for major corporations. Their recent venture into the healthcare sector has led to the creation of Toruto, a sales-enabling tool designed specifically for elderly and nursing care facilities. With Japan's aging population and the challenges faced by nursing care facilities in engaging seniors in care services, Toruto offers an innovative solution.
At the heart of Toruto is its ability to assess an individual's physical condition through a simple walking video, which is uploaded to its web application. Using AI technology, Toruto analyzes the walking style (gait), speed, body balance, and other factors crucial to the individual's mobility. Unlike traditional methods where specialists might use professional terms and expressions, Toruto's neutral approach focuses on functional aspects, making it easier for the facility to communicate the results to the elderly population.
"The key to Toruto's success lies in its simplicity and effectiveness," stated Satoshi Ishino, Representative Director and President of ExaHomecare, ExaWizards’s subsidiary. "By utilizing everyday devices such as smartphones or tablets, anyone can assess their walking patterns and balance in just a matter of minutes. This non-intrusive approach has garnered significant interest, especially in the Japanese nursing care industry."
CareWiz Toruto, an AI gait analysis system
One of the major challenges faced by nursing care facilities is convincing aging individuals to accept care services without making them feel old or helpless. Toruto addresses this issue by providing a comprehensive report that outlines an individual's physical capabilities without stigmatizing language. The report includes data on walking speed, balance, and other metrics, presented in a user-friendly format that caregivers can discuss openly with their clients.
The management of Walong Day Care Service Provider also shared positive feedback after using the Toruto service, stating, "As a result of our efforts, the number of contracted users exceeded 80 in the 5th month of opening, and the contract rate from experience exceeded 80%. The CareWiz Toruto data has become a sales tool, and I have more opportunities to communicate with care managers using the same language. Additionally, as a tool to strengthen collaboration with other medical institutions (hospitals, outpatient rehabilitation, home-visit nursing, etc.), progress reports, issues, and goals can be shared together with objective data, which has led to increased awareness of daycare services."
In addition to Toruto's walking assessment, ExaWizards has expanded its services to include oral activity evaluation. This new feature, integrated into the Toruto platform, analyzes an individual's oral muscle strength and mobility. By incorporating voice recognition technology, the platform assesses the clarity and precision of speech, offering insights into the individual's oral health.
ExaWizards is currently catering its services to nursing care facilities in Japan, where the demand for innovative elderly care solutions is high. The company has also received interest from various countries looking to implement similar solutions in their healthcare systems.
Toruto's success in engaging aging populations and encouraging them to prioritize their physical health has opened up new possibilities in the field of elderly care. As the demand for effective, non-intrusive solutions continues to grow, ExaWizards' innovative approach is poised to revolutionize the way we care for our seniors.