In a groundbreaking development for the elderly care industry, Helppad 2, the latest innovation from Japanese tech firm aba, has become the first in the nursing care industry to detect the odor of defecation, significantly reducing the burden on caregivers in nursing homes.
Helppad 2, innovated by aba, is the double winner of the IVS2023 KYOTO Audience Award and the Startup Kyoto International Award, one of the largest startup events in Japan.
The need for such a solution is evident in the challenges faced by caregivers, who spend more than 15 man-hours changing diapers at night, with a significant percentage ending up being empty. In response to the growing ratio of nursing home residents to caregivers in Japan's aging society, Helppad 2 offers a game-changing solution.
smart diaper sensor
Helppad 2 is a thin, unobtrusive pad that can be easily placed in a cover and laid on top of bedding. The system employs a management dashboard to notify caregivers when and where it detects human waste, assesses the risk of diaper leakage, and suggests the order in which diapers should be changed. Moreover, it introduces features such as recommending optimal diaper-changing times based on individual caregiver patterns and digitizing care records, ultimately reducing the cost of diaper changing in nursing care facilities, according to the report of Blackbox.
The product, a significant improvement over its predecessor, addresses the heartfelt plea of a caregiver who expressed the desire to see inside a diaper without opening it. This led to the development of Helppad 2, reflecting the company's commitment to creating a future that supports everyone involved in nursing care.
Yoshimi Ui, President of aba, emotionally expressed her journey, stating, "I have lost contact with the caregiver who said, 'I want to look inside the diaper without opening it,' which was the trigger for the development of this product. I want to tell them that I finally made it."
The second generation Helppad 2, which hit the market on October 30th, incorporates feedback from the field garnered through years of interviews since the release of the first generation. The focus was on further reducing the burden on nursing care workers and enhancing the comfort of care recipients.
With its recent victory at the IVS2023 Kyoto, Helppad 2 stands as a beacon of innovation in the elderly care industry, demonstrating the power of technology to address the evolving needs of our aging societies.
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