NextGen Technology Enabled Care Sensor Solutions for Assisted Living
Overview
As our population ages and the demand for high-quality care grows, there is a need to explore how services can be delivered differently. With the Openreach announcement that all analogue phone lines will be replaced with digital by January 2027, there is a significant opportunity to transform how telecare services are delivered and to move to a broader Technology Enabled Care (TEC) service. Traditional telecare solutions often focus on reactive measures - responding to emergencies or health crises after they occur. However, with advancements in IoT and sensor technologies, there is now the potential to create more proactive, person-centred solutions that enhance the quality of life for individuals living independently and support the services providing health and care.
This challenge seeks to harness innovative technologies that empower individuals to manage their health more effectively, maintain independence, and live safely in their own homes. We are calling on innovators to reimagine telecare—making it more proactive, predictive, personalised, and integrated into the daily lives of those who rely on these services. One aspect of our work is to develop a specification of devices across all TEC domains for integration into a procured digital platform. Following development and testing, these solutions will be tested in a real work environment and evaluated to demonstrate the benefits to users and services of adopting a highly personalised TEC pathway.
Why This Challenge Matters
TEC is at the heart of independent assisted living, offering a safety net for individuals who wish to maintain autonomy while receiving the care and support they need. However, the current landscape presents several challenges:
Proactivity: Most existing systems are reactive, only intervening when a crisis occurs. There is a critical need for solutions that can anticipate issues before they arise, offering timely interventions that prevent emergencies and enhance well-being.
Personalisation: Every individual has unique needs. Solutions must move beyond one-size-fits-all approaches, delivering insights, support and care that is tailored to the specific circumstances, preferences, and health conditions of each person.
Integration: For TEC to be truly effective, it needs to be seamlessly integrated into the fabric of daily life, utilising interoperable smart home technologies, AI, and sensors/IoT devices that work together to provide comprehensive insights and support.
By addressing these areas, this challenge aims to push the boundaries of what TEC can achieve, ultimately contributing to better health outcomes, improved quality of life, and greater independence for those who need it most, while supporting statutory services to direct their finite resources where and when they are needed most.
What We Are Looking For
We are interested in groundbreaking ideas, technologies, solutions or approaches that address one or more of the challenges described above. If your organisation has a solution to some or all of the challenge areas please submit a RapidPitch. If you think your solution addresses another aspect of telecare/telehealth/ambient assisted living/smart housing but has not been listed above, then this may also be of interest.
We are particularly interested in device solutions that are standalone or generate data that can be integrated into our partner’s digital platform and address the following areas:
Remote Health Monitoring: Technologies that allow for continuous monitoring of health parameters (e.g. heart rate, blood pressure, glucose levels)
Fall Detection and Prevention: Advanced sensor systems capable of detecting falls, and predicting potential falls (e.g. through gait analysis)
Emergency Response Systems: Solutions that provide immediate assistance in emergencies, such as wearable devices with panic buttons, and voice-activated alarms.
Ambient Activity Monitoring: Devices that can gather ongoing personalised data related to functional activity and or environment monitoring (e.g. kitchen device activity, movement patterns/routines, toilet flushing, property humidity or temperature etc)
Activity Prompting: Devices which can prompt or remind users to carry out a task (e.g. medication, appointments, routines etc)
Smart Home Automation for Assisted Living: IoT devices that adapt home environments to individual needs, such as automated lighting, temperature control, and door locking systems that ensure safety and ease of use for elderly or disabled residents.
Ambient Psychological Monitoring: Facial recognition technologies which monitor mood, anxiety, pain etc
In all cases, please describe what standards your solution meets and whether your solution integrates with existing platforms or has the capability to do so.
Why Participate?
Showcase Your Solution: Selected innovators will be invited to demo their technologies to a smart housing working group which includes health and care professionals and citizens for considered inclusion in a TEC specification being developed.
Collaborate with Experts: Gain feedback and insights from leading professionals in the field, and explore opportunities for partnerships or pilot projects within our Living Labs.
Shape the Future of Independent Living: Be a part of the movement that is redefining how technology can empower individuals to live independently, safely, and with dignity.
Please note that this competition is strictly for market review and assessment purposes. Participation does not include any monetary compensation, and there is no commitment to make any purchases based on the pitches presented.
We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to gain valuable feedback, increase visibility, and explore potential collaborations within the market.
How to Respond
Submit your challenge response through this form. We will accept submissions on a rolling basis until we have selected potential solutions for inclusion in our living lab activities.
Demo Days
Selected participants will be invited to present their solutions to partners either in person in Moray or online.
FAQs
Can I submit supporting documents (for example a video) as part of my application?
You will have the opportunity to submit supporting materials such as non-confidential slide decks, research papers, and videos as part of your application. You may submit a video along with your typed responses. Please be mindful of duration, suggested no more than 5 minutes. Please make sure that you do not submit any information that is non-proprietary or owned by a third party.
Can I submit confidential information?
Only non-confidential information should be submitted and anything you submit will be treated as non-confidential.
What happens with IP (Intellectual Property)?
As this is a no strings attached arrangement, DHI does not acquire any IP. We are interested in identifying solutions and understanding the current art of the possible.
What are the specific criteria?
Your solution should be in existence, i.e. on the market, or in testing, and manifestable as a minimum viable product (MVP).
What types of ideas are you interested in?
Submissions should have a path to commercialisation. While ideas can be early stage, we are not looking for research projects that are not pursuing a viable potential solution.
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