The story behind Otiom
An experience that helped shape Otiom
One summer day, something happened that should never happen. Preben left the care home without the staff being aware of it. When the staff realized that Preben was missing, a caregiver quickly set out to find him. Preben was carrying a GPS device, but when the care staff and volunteers tried to locate his signal, they discovered that the device had run out of battery. As a result, the GPS could not help find Preben.
Situations like Preben’s are unfortunately all too common for relatives and care professionals: people living with dementia go missing even when carrying GPS trackers. This led to a collaboration between The Danish Association of the Elderly, Aalborg Municipality, Aalborg University, a number of individuals diagnosed with dementia and their relatives, as well as the municipalities of Brønderslev, Hjørring, Jammerbugt, Mariagerfjord, and Thisted. The goal was to develop the next generation of dementia safety solutions for home and care settings.
Our hope was to create a solution that would allow people like Preben to move freely without him – or his relatives – having to worry about him getting lost. In other words: more freedom and less fear and helplessness.
The birth of Otiom
Unfortunately, it quickly became clear that none of the existing technologies could solve the problem.
It took several years of work and investment from both private investors and public institutions before the right technology was identified and the solution was created.
Otiom is the result of collaboration, research, and technological progress. It was developed by the Danish company ACUBIT, which was invited to join the partnership. Unlike traditional GPS devices, Otiom is built on the new Internet of Things (IoT) technology. This technology is far more energy-efficient than previous tracking devices, more reliable, and works both indoors and outdoors.
Developed and produced in Denmark 🇩🇰
There are several reasons why Otiom stands apart from other solutions on the market. One key reason is that the goal is not only to find people once they are already missing, but to actively help prevent them from getting lost in the first place. Otiom helps ensure that people do not go missing.
In addition, Otiom is one of the first products to utilize the new NB-IoT technology. Danish and global telecom providers have played a central role in developing and implementing the antenna infrastructure that makes Otiom unique.
Read the manifesto that forms the foundation of our work to further develop Otiom.
Contact us
We’re here to help
Do you have questions, or would you like to learn more about how we can help?
Whether you are a relative, work in a care home, or work in a municipality, you are always welcome to get in touch. Fill out the form, and we’ll get back to you within one business day.
