Alert Your Personal Emergency Network
Using Only Your Voice,
with Alexa and Ask My Buddy
Turn Your Smart Speaker into an Emergency Alert Device
Alexa and other Smart Home technologies can make life a lot easier for people who live alone, people who have disabilities, and a lot of older people. Smart Home technologies and Smart Speakers can automate a lot of tasks, and make physical tasks simpler for those with physical limitations. Smart speakers and other assistive technologies can help a person continue to live independently, in his or her own home, for a longer time. But what these technologies cannot yet do is to call 911. Wouldn't it be great if Smart Speakers, like the Amazon Echo or Google Home, could summon help when an individual needs it? Well, now they can, thanks to a service called "AskMyBuddy.net."
I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up
Most of us have seen the commercials. A senior citizen is in distress, but s/he cannot get to a telephone to summon help. However, the individual wears a pendant, and by pressing a button, s/he can summon assistance from a personal emergency alert network. And although these devices are marketed to seniors, I know a few women and people with disabilities who live alone and wish they had this "yell for help" capability, but they do not want another monthly expense, especially when they figure they will not use it often. Many people in this category have Alexa or a similar Smart Speaker. However, despite the fact Alexa has limited calling abilities, she cannot dial 911, no matter how many times you ask her to. Wouldn't it be nice if Alexa could summon emergency help with a voice command?
