SeniorSMART™ and Fraunhofer Partnership

In April 2008, SeniorSMART™ gained a powerful partner in the Fraunhofer Institute of Software Engineering. Based in Germany, the Fraunhofer Institute invented and holds the patent on MP3 technology, a digital encoded format that has transformed the music industry and is the foundation of music downloading from the Internet.

Research will be conducted under the SmartHOME™ component of SeniorSMART that will develop and test technology designed to enable older adults to live at home longer. Applications may include software technology that is able to detect subtle changes in a person’s physical condition and collect pertinent data such as changes in weight, heart rate or a fall, and then alert caregivers, family, or a home monitoring service of a potential problem.

The Institute sees great potential in this partnership, largely because of its unique collaboration of universities, healthcare systems, and private entities, along with the funding support of the State of South Carolina. Dieter Rombach, Fraunhofer Institute president says, “Research is the fuel of the global economy. Without it, economies and societies at large would stagnate.” USC President Harris Pastides stresses the power of the strategic global partnership. “Anytime you can attract a world leader in translational research like the Fraunhofer Institute, you know you are doing something right.”