Taking Pictures to Unlock the Past

A small, wearable camera developed by Microsoft Research in Cambridge, England, could help those suffering from memory loss piece together their past by automatically taking time-lapsed pictures throughout the day. The SenseCam captures low-resolution digital images approximately twice a minute, which researchers believe can prompt the brain to unlock previous memories for amnesia and Alzheimer's patients.

"The SenseCam is all about recalling a piece of information someone already has," Dr. Emma Berry, a clinical neuropsychologist at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, told CNN. Berry has used the SenseCam while working with memory-loss patients.

Berry has also worked with Microsoft Research to conduct clinical trials of the device. In one trial, a woman with severe amnesia was given the SenseCam. "She viewed the [camera's] images," Berry said, and "the memories came flooding back. When asked about it later, she described events in detail." The patient even recalled things that were not captured in images on the SenseCam, Berry added.

The technology is also being tested with people who have Alzheimer's disease, with similar results. "When patients viewed SenseCam images of events they have experienced, they were able to recall the events three months later without needing to review the images," Berry said. "We think that Alzheimer's patients are able to store memory but are unable to access it. Even motion-blurred pictures have an effect on recall."

The SenseCam's battery needs to be charged daily, and its 1GB of memory can store up to 30,000 photos. The SenseCam was invented in 1999 by Lyndsay Williams, a former researcher at Microsoft Research. Vicon, a developer of motion-capture technology used in the film industry, plans to market the device as the Vicon Revue. According to CNN, it will cost around $800, and Vicon plans to make the product commercially available by the end of the year.

While it's primarily designed for those suffering from memory loss, just think of the potential it holds for solving problems in everyday life -- like remembering where you left your car keys. "I think of it as becoming the microwave oven of home movies," Steve Hodges of Microsoft Research told CNN about SenseCam's commercial potential.