Kent trial of anti-isolation tech

As social isolation and loneliness becomes an increasingly prominent social issue, Green Party county councillor Martin Whybrow and the Hythe and Lyminge branch of Age UK have launched a trial of Norwegian technology in south Kent that aims to reconnect those experiencing isolation.

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Norwegian technology designed to reduce social isolation is being trialled in Hythe and Dymchurch in Kent in a pilot led by a Green councillor and Age UK.

The technology comes from Norwegian company No Isolation, established in 2015 by three technology experts to find solutions to reduce loneliness.

As part of the pilot championed by Green Party Kent County councillor Martin Whybrow and the Hythe and Lyminge branch of Age UK, two elderly residents will have two of the company’s new devices, known as KOMP, in their homes.

The devices are a screen with a single on/off button that also controls the volume. Via an app, an unlimited number of family members and friends can share content and make video calls, setting how long content should stay visible via the app, with the content displayed on the screen on a loop with large text.

One of the local recipients, 84 year-old Dymchurch-based Anne, explains that she used to love family outings, such as to the theatre, museums and Buckingham Palace. Now, with limited mobility, the KOMP connects Anne to her family, so that she can share their news, outings and other activities. This includes one of her grandsons in South Korea plus her other three grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

“Now my grandchildren are taking their children on outings and I can sit here in comfort and see where they have been,” says Anne.

Martin Whybrow, who funded the two devices from his KCC Members Community Grant, says: “I saw a presentation from No Isolation in London a while back and they were looking for pilots in the UK for the KOMP. It looked a really well thought-out use of technology to tackle isolation so I grabbed the chance to become involved.”

Hayley Ross, Age UK Hythe and Lyminge’s marketing and fundraising officer, says: “We were delighted to be approached by Martin to be involved in the trial of the No Isolation KOMP devices. A recent Age UK survey found there are 2,111 lonely older people in the Folkestone and Hythe district area. Reaching these people and finding ways of reducing the feeling of isolation is one of our key focuses, and this new technology tackles the issue in a new and inventive way.”

Both elderly trialists were selected from among Age UK Hyte and Lyminge’s client base, with feedback set to be passed on to No Isolation to help refine and improve the KOMP.

The KOMP was No Isolation’s second product. The first was AV1, a telepresence robot that is targeted at the other end of the age spectrum.

AV1 was designed to allow children and young people with long-term illnesses to stay connected with their schools and friends. The robot resides in the classroom, linked to the young person who can control it through an app on a mobile device. It is essentially the student’s eyes, ears and voice in class on the days when they can’t be physically present.

The student signals that they want to speak by instructing the top of AV1’s head to blink. The robot can turn 360 degrees so that they can see and speak to all of their classmates. All data that travels between the user’s device and AV1 is encrypted and nothing is stored.