Your House Will Take Care of You in Old Age
Have you ever thought what your life would be like in old age?
Everyone talks about the “ageing” society with large numbers of elderly people needing home care. Now German researchers have set up a “smart” house, programmed to help the elderly live at home with dignity. Scientists at Germany’s Fraunhofer Society say the house combines existing technology with future-riented technology.
For example, the “smart” bathroom has a touchscreen mirror that can remind people to take their medicine, wash their hands or brush their teeth. The hardware behind Fraunhofe’s electronic bathroom is not new, and the software runs on a regular personal computer.
When the medicine cabinet is opened, a display in the middle of the mirror tells the person how many pills to take. The mirror is linked to a care provider, who can remotely check whether a patient at home is actually taking medicine and brushing his or her teeth. As many elderly people have arthritic (关节炎的) conditions that make it difficult to operate water taps, the mirror also has displays that turn the water tap on or off or control the water temperature.
The bathroom is only the start. Kitchens, bedrooms and all other parts of the “intelligent” home will become “user-friendly” to meet all kinds of individual needs. Sensors in doors, toilets, taps, light switches and carpets detect every activity and record them electronically. Doctors or care staff can see from the computer records what personal hygiene (卫生) tasks have been completed, how often the elderly person visits the bathroom or uses the toilet. In case of an emergency, the computer automatically alerts the chosen contact person or calls the care centre.
【小题1】The underlined part “ them” in the last paragraph refers to __________ .A.sensors |
B.individual needs |
C.doors, toilets, taps, light switches and carpets |
D.every activity |
A.intelligent and convenient |
B.smart but expensive |
C.advanced and environmentally friendly |
D.fashionable and energy-saving |
A.By inferring. | B.By comparing. |
C.By listing examples. | D.By introducing a practical method. |
A.To call on people to care for the old. |
B.To encourage the old to live with dignity. |
C.To stress the importance of developing technology. |
D.To introduce a new intelligent house. |