BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM
For Carole Greig, 70, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s almost three years ago, the prospect is personal. “How fantastic that we can be given some more independence, that we’re going to be able to cope on our own and not be a burden,” she said after testing the technology. “And not only that, it’s not just not being a burden, it’s enjoying your life.”
The technology she tested is called CrossSense, and it just won the Longitude Prize on Dementia, a £1 million (about $1.27 million) competition to develop assistive tools that help people with dementia live independently for longer. The prize, funded by Alzheimer’s Society and Innovate UK, drew competitors from around the world.
What CrossSense actually does for wearers
CrossSense runs as software embedded into smart glasses. A built-in camera, microphone, and speakers connect to an AI assistant called Wispy, which guides wearers through daily life in real time. Wispy can offer verbal prompts and display floating text in front of the wearer’s eyes, hold light conversations, and help trigger memories.
That real-time piece sets it apart. Most existing assistive tech for dementia offers simple one-off reminders. CrossSense does something different. “The breakthrough made by CrossSense was offering real-time prompts and feedback during tasks rather than providing simple one-off reminders,” said Dr. Foyzul Rahman, an expert in cognitive decline at Loughborough University.
The glasses are also designed to adapt. Information about a wearer’s care needs can be entered through a companion app, and Wispy uses machine learning to adjust as their condition changes.
Early results show gains that outlast the glasses
Prof. Julia Simner of the University of Sussex led a study testing CrossSense with 23 pairs of people living with dementia and their caregivers. Without the glasses, participants could correctly name only 46 percent of household items. With the glasses, that figure jumped to 82 percent. The improvement held even after the glasses were removed: an hour later, the figure was still 78 percent.
“Crucially, the benefit lasted even after the glasses were removed,” Simner said.
The study has not yet been peer-reviewed, and Rahman noted that larger, controlled trials are needed to confirm whether the benefits translate meaningfully into everyday life. He also flagged ethical questions around data collection and consent.
Timeline, cost, and what comes next
A smartphone version of CrossSense is expected by the end of 2026, with smart glasses to follow in early 2027. The frames, which can be fitted with prescription lenses and are compatible with hearing aids, currently cost up to £1,000 (about $1,270). A monthly subscription for the CrossSense software runs about £50 (roughly $63).
Szczepan Orlins, chief executive of CrossSense Ltd, said the £1 million prize would fund a four-week pilot in people’s homes during the last quarter of 2026. “With the prize, we will be running a pilot with smart glasses in the last quarter for four weeks in people’s homes, which would give us enough data to know that this is ready,” he said. The goal is for the glasses to eventually be available through the NHS.
One practical limitation worth noting: current battery life is only one hour, requiring a portable power bank. The aim is for both the technology and the glasses themselves to become cheaper over time.
With roughly 150 million people expected to be living with dementia globally by 2050, the demand for tools that extend independence is going to grow. CrossSense’s early results suggest the most effective dementia tech may not be a reminder on a phone screen, but something worn on the face that can be present in every moment and adapt as a person’s condition changes rather than staying fixed while they don’t.
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