Development of an Assistive Cooking Mobile Application for Individuals with Cognitive Impairments

Individuals with brain dysfunctions often face significant challenges in performing everyday tasks such as cooking independently. They may forget steps, struggle with complex instructions, or leave tasks unfinished, leading to safety concerns and decreased quality of life. Existing solutions lack tailored functionalities to support safe and autonomous cooking experiences for this group.

A healthcare organization or assistive technology provider focusing on improving independence and safety for individuals with neurological or cognitive challenges through specialized digital solutions.

• Create a mobile application that enables individuals with cognitive impairments to follow recipes with detailed, step-by-step instructions.
• Ensure the app operates effectively in offline mode after initial setup to facilitate usage in areas with limited internet connectivity.
• Integrate voice control features to allow users to navigate the app and control cooking steps via voice commands accommodating varying accents and speech intelligibility.
• Implement device synchronization (e.g., via Bluetooth) with wearable alert systems to monitor user location, provide movement alerts when leaving the cooking zone, and remind users of upcoming steps.
• Develop notification mechanisms that alert designated contacts if the user delays or forgets to move to the next cooking step, ensuring safety.

• Download and display simple recipes with comprehensive ingredient lists and step-by-step instructions.
• Enable offline operation after initial recipe download, minimizing reliance on internet connectivity.
• Integrate voice recognition to support commands such as 'Find me a recipe', 'Start recipe', 'Next step', 'Previous step', 'Repeat step', and 'Stop cooking', with voice command recognition tailored to diverse accents.
• Synchronize with wearable devices (e.g., Bluetooth-enabled bracelets) to monitor user location within the kitchen, provide alerts if the user leaves the designated area, and remind the user to proceed to the next step.
• Send notifications to a designated contact when the user takes too long to complete a step, with data transmitted to a remote server for processing and alerting.
• Utilize Text-to-Speech technology to vocalize recipe steps for users preferring auditory guidance.

• Remote server for recipe downloads and storage
• Bluetooth-enabled wearable devices (e.g., bracelets) for location and status monitoring
• Notification system for alerting contacts in case of delays or safety concerns

• Offline mode to enable app operation after initial download, with initial internet connection only required once
• Robust voice command recognition with a high tolerance for variable speech accents
• Reliable Bluetooth connectivity across diverse device types and brands
• Prompt notification delivery with minimal latency
• High security standards for user data and communication channels

The development of this specialized cooking application aims to increase safety, independence, and quality of life for individuals with brain dysfunctions. By enabling autonomous cooking through detailed instructions, voice control, device synchronization, and safety alerts, it is anticipated that user safety will improve significantly, reducing incidents of forgetfulness or accidents. Additionally, the solution is designed to be scalable and adaptable, potentially reducing the need for constant caregiver supervision and promoting greater inclusion in daily activities.