Virtual Supermarket

A group of my friends who are spread across the globe have recently been sharing pictures of the isles in their grocery store, allowing us to see glimpses into things we just assume other communities have.

Grocery stores require the ability to picture where the object resides, to recognize the grouping of common objects, and to navigate the isles to find the desired object.  Financial comparisons and basic math are all involved.  All of these skills become increasingly difficult with Alzheimer's or other dementia causing diseases.

Researchers have found that virtual supermarkets can actually identify individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) which is often a precursor of Alzheimer's.  The virtual experiences can be immersive to the point where the individual interacts with the application as though it were fully real, allowing the system to record error or issues with how the participant engages with the simulation.


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