Perspective - Maintaining the Quality of Life in Depopulating Communities: Expanding Smart Sensing via a Novel Power Supply

A growing aging population along with a declining birthrate is a societal challenge facing many industrial countries. This challenge is magnified in particular regional areas (e.g., remote, small communities and declining urban centers) where young people in search of better economic opportunities migrate to more modern urban centers. Advanced digital technology has the potential to partially address such challenges in a cost effective and scalable manner in helping older adults enhance their physical and mental needs by incorporating many of the advances of smart sensors into their daily lives.