Cognscient: Your Memory Friend

Inspiration

What inspired us to create Cogniscient was deeply personal. As a nurse working in the healthcare industry, I’ve seen the emotional and logistical toll that Alzheimer’s disease takes on both patients and caregivers. But nothing prepared me for the daily challenges I witnessed at home with my grandfather, who lives with Alzheimer’s. Taking him to community Alzheimer’s programs, I noticed a pattern: nearly every patient and caregiver struggled with one shared issue which was technology.

What it does

Cognisant is a simplified, AI-supported smart device and mobile app designed specifically for individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. It replaces overwhelming smartphone interfaces with a focused, distraction-free experience. Users can easily make visual-based calls, receive automatic time and medication reminders, access games for cognitive stimulation, and navigate the device with persistent Home, Call, and Back buttons. Caregivers have full remote control through a dedicated portal where they can schedule reminders, monitor usage, and block spam calls. The interface runs without open internet access or external apps, ensuring safety, clarity, and ease of use.

How we built it

We built Cogniscient using Flutter for its flexibility, cross-platform support, and ability to design a clean, intuitive UI. Our development focused heavily on user experience, with everything from oversized icons to photo-based contact calling to caregiver-controlled settings. We intentionally excluded internet access, app stores, and nested menus to create a safe, focused environment tailored for cognitive clarity.

Challenges we ran into

We faced real challenges, especially time constraints. Balancing development with academic and clinical commitments was intense. Flutter had a learning curve, and building a unified interface with both functionality and simplicity required many iterations. But our goal to reduce suffering and restore confidence for Alzheimer’s families kept us going.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Successfully conducted user testing on emulator and Android APK with positive feedback from caregivers and individuals in early stages of Alzheimer’s

What we learned

This project taught me that innovation doesn’t always mean adding more. Sometimes it means designing with restraint. I learned how to prioritize accessibility in every decision and how to translate clinical needs into technological solutions.

What's next for Cognscient: Your Memory Friend

Our immediate goal is to complete the working prototype of Cogniscient by finalizing the back-end and refining UI elements based on user feedback. We are focused on making the app run more smoothly, especially on low-memory devices often used by elderly users.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1-1AeWAP-kcad6wwsg-8akWInO9mpvPKzVCEDZH7dpzY/edit?usp=sharing