WIPO have published a Technology Trends report on Assistive Technology which can be found here.
It identifies a list of emerging assistive technologies and has analyzed related patenting activity. They have made it simple to assess the wide range of assistive technologies, meant to support people with functional limitations, by creating an interactive and accessible platform which assesses the level of technology readiness thereby indicating how close they are to commercialisation, while also indicating the volume of patents in each technology category. The platform also shows their expected impact and ease of adoption. In addition there is a link to the patents related to each category.
The assessment covers 57 emerging assistive technologies which have been grouped into 6 domains covering;
- communication
- environment
- hearing
- mobility
- self-care; and
- vision.
The assessment was completed by 32 subject matter experts and judged according to NASA’s Technology Readiness Level. The range of technologies covers well-established products which have been around for centuries, as well as improved assistive products using advanced enabling technologies such as AI, human-computer/machine interface etc.
We look forward with interest to following further developments in the field. If you have a development in the field and are interested in patenting your invention, contact us on mail@maclachlan.ie or info@ansons.co.uk and we would be delighted to help you.