The finalist announcement
Artificial intelligence (AI) glasses to navigate environments and a smartwatch that learns daily routines are among five groundbreaking technologies that have been named as finalists in the £4.4 million Longitude Prize on Dementia.
The prize is rewarding the creation of new assistive technologies that use AI to transform how people live with dementia, so that they can maintain their independence for longer.
The global challenge prize is funded by Alzheimer’s Society and Innovate UK and delivered by Challenge Works (part of Nesta).
Why dementia?
One in three people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime, with around a million people in the UK living with a form of dementia now.
This is projected to rise to 1.4 million people by 2040.
More broadly, there were over 55 million people living with dementia around the globe in 2020.
It is estimated that this number will rise to 139 million by 2050.
About the finalists
The five finalists were announced on BBC One’s The One Show on 8 October 2024.
Each will now receive £300,000 to develop their technologies in the next 15 months.
UK teams
These finalists include two UK based teams.
Developed by Animorph, the first, CrossSense, is a pair of high-tech glasses that can help users recognise objects and people.
Supersense, the second UK team, has been developed by Supersense Technologies, and is an at-home monitoring box that protects privacy.
International teams
The other finalists include Theora360, which uses applied football pitch sensor technology to predict and prevent falls, developed by US based team, Clairvoyant Networks.
AUTONOMOUS is a smartwatch-based app to provide guidance on daily routines, developed by Portuguese team, Associação Fraunhofer Portugal Research.
Finally, MemoryAid is a home assistance device resembling a traditional telephone, developed by Australian team, The MARCS Institute and Western Sydney University.
The next steps
In addition to the financial reward, non-financial support has been funded to provide innovators with crucial insight and expertise until the end of 2025.
The support includes access to potential product users, mentorship, and expert advice on technical and business aspects of the innovation to ensure products are scalable.
It will also facilitate knowledge sharing between participants.
All teams will be working with people with lived experience to ensure solutions are fully co-created.
In early 2026, one winner will receive a prize pot of £1 million, following a judging process with the international judging panel and Lived Experience Advisory Panel.
Changing lives for the better
Stella Peace, interim Executive Chair, Innovate UK said:
Dementia’s impact is devastating for those who develop the condition and for their loved ones.
There is much we can do to ensure that those with dementia continue to live fulfilling lives.
Technology has a great role to play. The projects for which we have announced funding today have the potential to truly change lives for the better.
Exciting opportunities
Kate Lee, Chief Executive Officer of Alzheimer’s Society said:
Currently, around one million people in the UK live with dementia, a figure projected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040.
AI presents exciting opportunities to help those with dementia stay active and independent, enabling them to remain in their own homes for as long as possible.
By harnessing the power of technology, we can support memory recall and assist individuals in maintaining their daily routines.
The five finalists of the Longitude Prize on Dementia are tackling these challenges in innovative and diverse ways.
I look forward to seeing how their technologies evolve over the next year.
Supporting independent living
Tris Dyson, Managing Director at Challenge Works said:
The Longitude Prize on Dementia was launched to help meet the urgent need for intuitive, AI technologies that could support independent living for people with dementia.
Last year we saw some incredible ideas come through the 24 semi-finalist entries and it was a challenge for the judges to select the five finalists announced today.
This announcement proves the critical role innovation, and challenge prizes, have to play in helping to solve some of the biggest challenges of our time.
Further information
About the Longitude Prize on Dementia
The Longitude Prize on Dementia is a £4.4 million prize that launched in 2022 to drive the creation of personalised, technology-based tools.
The tools are co-created with people living with the early stages of dementia, helping them live independent, more fulfilled lives and enabling them to do the things they enjoy.
Dementia is a progressive condition and there is no cure, but people can live well for years.
As hospitalisations can increase the rate of decline, the hope is that assistive technology can help people stay safe and independent in their home for longer.
The winning solution will use the latest advances in technology, AI and machine learning in combination with user data and testing to provide personalised support for people living with dementia.
Twenty-four semi-finalists were announced in 2023 with five finalists announced in October 2024.
A winner will be announced in 2026.
The Longitude Prize on Dementia is funded by Alzheimer’s Society and Innovate UK and delivered by Challenge Works (part of Nesta).
One of the Discovery Awards awarded, the ‘Paul and Nick Harvey Discovery Award’ is sponsored by the Hunter Foundation, with further support coming from Heather Corrie and the Caretech Foundation.
Top image: Credit: Animorph