£1m Longitude Prize awarded to AI smart glasses companion for people living with dementia

The Longitude Prize on Dementia has awarded the £1 million grand prize to CrossSense, a personalised AI-powered assistant, developed for smart glasses, that identifies everyday objects and guides people living with early-stage dementia through daily activities, with the ultimate aim of supporting them to live safely in their own homes for longer.

About CrossSense and how it works

By asking gentle prompts, CrossSense’s AI companion – called Wispy – understands and learns a person’s unique way of doing things, with the AI adapting to each user’s needs as their dementia progresses.  

The glasses capture the environment of the person living with dementia and the AI interprets that information to help the user to do the things that define independence -  feeling confident in their own home, taking good care of themselves, planning the day ahead, completing planned activities and hosting friends and family.

CrossSense has been developed by the London-based social enterprise, CrossSense Ltd. The team trained the technology with dozens of everyday activities including getting dressed, managing household chores safely, making a cup of tea and interacting with loved ones. 

Wispy asks helpful questions and offers prompts so that the user makes their own choices - and talks through what to do when a person cannot remember a particular step in a process.  

The interactive, talkative and patient AI companion offers cognitive stimulation to get people thinking, talking and imagining, so that individuals continue to see the relationships between things (for example kitchen, mugs, spoons, teabags, water, kettle and milk are all connected to making a cup of tea), which helps to maintain neural connections, slow cognitive decline in early-stage dementia and improve quality of life.

Working with the University of Sussex and a panel of people affected by dementia, the team observed improvements in some users’ ability in naming objects, and other cognitive abilities in visual-spatial understanding, short-term and working memory - a component of memory that allows individuals to actively use information in the moment, such as following a conversation, solving a simple calculation, or remembering instructions.

The prize’s panel of international expert judges agreed that the winning solution was a genuine breakthrough technology with revolutionary potential for people living with dementia and their families.  

What experts are saying about CrossSense's win

Szczepan Orlins, CEO, CrossSense Ltd said:  

'Winning the Longitude Prize on Dementia is a dream come true. As a small team with big ambitions, the prize’s support has accelerated CrossSense in ways that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. 

The technology is designed to support daily living, integrating multiple senses to simplify essential tasks. We’re grateful to the people living with dementia and their families who helped shape it. 

'This win brings us closer to making CrossSense available to the public within the next year.'

Dame Wendy Hall, internationally renowned AI expert and chair of the Longitude Committee, said:  

'CrossSense captures exactly the kind of revolutionary AI the Longitude Prize set out to support. The team’s progress over the past three years has been remarkable – their expertise, co-design approach and focus on personalised AI, built on existing smart glasses hardware, truly set them apart. 

Most importantly, the impact the technology has already had on people living with dementia is worth more than any prize. 

'While only one winner can be chosen, every finalist has developed innovations that will have a positive impact and make life easier for people with dementia and their families. The prize has helped accelerate multiple solutions that will soon be available.'

Professor Fiona Carragher, Chief Policy and Research Officer at Alzheimer’s Society, said:

'Rapid advancements in AI will give people affected by early-stage dementia the opportunity to stay safely in their own homes for longer and lead more independent, fulfilled lives. 

The CrossSense smart glasses companion is a prime example of harnessing technology to develop intuitive personal support that complements care given by humans. 

'By anticipating people’s needs as their condition progresses, easing daily living challenges and providing additional reassurance to families, this revolutionary tech will allow people with dementia to maintain their independence for longer within the familiar environment of home.'

Dr Stella Peace, Managing Director, Innovate UK said:

“There is currently no cure for dementia, so it is important to focus on technologies that can improve the daily lives of those living with the condition. CrossSense’s innovation gives users greater independence in their own homes.

'Innovate UK has been a proud supporter of the Longitude Prize since its launch in 2014 and has partnered with many businesses working in the dementia space, including CrossSense. By backing pioneering companies, Innovate UK is helping bring practical, life‑enhancing solutions into people’s everyday lives, while driving growth.'