Inspiration
Currently I live over 10,000kms away from my family. I am worried my 4-year old son will never know his grandparents, and I feel guilty that I cannot be there and spend time with them. I know I am not the only one in this situation. For this reason, I have created the Alexa, Don't Forget Me When I'm Gone 28 Day Challenge.
What it does
A voice companion to help your elderly loved ones stay in touch with the world and leave their legacy.
It is a meaningful 28 day challenge for your aging parent, that builds a memoir about the life of your loved one.
The objective of the voice companion, Alexa, is to get your elders to talk about how they have lived life and how they left their mark on the world.
By them asking: “Alexa, don’t forget me when I'm gone”, Alexa will ask questions like; “What was your favorite childhood memory?” or “What did you want to be when you grew up?”
Alexa has hundreds of questions, so set up the camera and get your loved one a tea and cookie and start them off by saying:
“Alexa, don’t forget me when I'm gone.”
Then post the videos to social media, so the world can see their story.
Do this everyday for 28 Days with the #alexadontforgetmewhenimgone28daychallenge
How we built it
We wanted to understand the emotional situation. We used Ivy as a voice that simulates a child asking questions. We wanted her to be curious, patient and appreciative of this time of sharing memories. We really thought of my 91-year old Nana and who she would really enjoy talking to, which would be a well behaved, curious child.
Challenges we ran into
Finding a developer to implement Alexa Shopping Actions into this skill.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We are proud that families can get to know each other on a deep and meaningful level, and leave video memoirs for future generations.
What we learned
We learned that it is a process for someone taking this challenge that makes them face what they look like on camera, how old they look and having something to say that is important to a grandchild. We learned the gravity of this emotional process.
What's next for The Alexa, Don't Forget Me When I'm Gone 28 Day Challenge
So this Challenge stays free in the future and grows as big as the ice bucket challenge, I see partnering with aged care homes, aged care facilities, RSL Clubs, veteran organizations, retirement homes, hospitals, bowling clubs, hospital cancer wards, cancer organizations and brands such as Royal Dansk Danish butter cookies, Arnotts biscuits, McVitties, Oreos and Chips Ahoy to promote this Challenge world wide.
We would like to get involved with therapeutic pet robots. We see the skill becoming standard with the Amazon Astro companion. We want to be part of the rehabilitation and support to people in settings such as hospitals, nursing homes, retirement homes and disaster areas and play a role in their legacy.
We see Don't forget me when I'm gone having access to the camera api in user's phone, the Echo Show and Amazon Astro to record video and upload to social media.
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