Capturing Human Digital Memories for Assisting Memory Recall

Abstract

As the life expectancy of adults is increasing, so is the occurrence of illness, disability and the demand on hospitals. The probability of becoming cognitively impaired increases with age, with one side effect of increasing life expectancy being the emerging number of dementia patients. In order to enable people to live more independently the use of digital technologies, as an artificial memory aid, is gaining momentum. The area of Human Digital Memories (HDMs) provides such an outlet where users can interact with their data, with the use of visual lifelogs, which can help sufferers relive life experiences. Computing devices are, nowadays, capable of storing a lifetime’s worth of data and capturing our every move, interactions and physiological signals. As a result of living in such a data-rich society, a greater number of data sources are available, which can be incorporated into building more vivid HDMs. This chapter explores the area of human digital memories. More specifically, focusing on wearable systems and physiological devices, the methods that are used to capture human digital memory data are presented. Once it has been established how data can be collected, a more in-depth look at how digital memories are created is also explored. The chapter is then concluded with a summary of the key challenges of the area.