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The Proximity Button by Mettle Studio

Good design should always have a proper function, but when it becomes a vehicle for positive change, it’s made all the better. London-based industrial design firm Mettle Studio recently designed and created a new wearable technology called the Proximity Button, a small discreet product that uses beacon technology to track dementia patients who might wander off and are put at risk. With number of people living with dementia estimated to double from 44 million in the next 20 years, this button has to potential to create real, positive change that allows patients to live dignified, active lives while maintaining their well-being. Their caregivers, in return, are given a peace of mind.

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The Proximity button was conceived by Natalie Price, a daughter of a dementia caregiver. She designed the technoolgy to be sleek (as to not distract or distress the patient) and comfortable (so that the patient can wear it at all times). The button pairs with the Proximity app, which uses Bluetooth technology rather than satellite technology so that it can be used in all environments. When a patient wanders out of a caregiver’s line of sight of beyond 20 meters of the beacon signal, an alarm goes off alerting the caregiver.

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The button itself is made from aluminum, ABS plastic, and rubber-plastic composite, making it durable and water-resistant. A coin cell battery makes it long-lasting.

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To learn more about the Proximity button, visit Mettle Studio.

As the Senior Contributing Editor, Vy Yang is obsessed with discovering ways to live well + with intention through design. She's probably sharing what she finds over on Instagram stories. You can also find her at vytranyang.com.