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Senior citizens begin to face various challenges in their day to day lives as they decrease motor function, cognitive function and swallowing disorders due to decreased oral function.*1 To respond to these needs, we are working on developing a new approach to training (exercise) for seniors and linking this approach with a system that enables them to make exercise an easy, enjoyable habit.
Lion has developed Kenkomintaiso, an exercise program that focuses on oral, sleep and motor functions simultaneously, in collaboration with Dr. Kou Matsudaira, an orthopedic surgeon and doctor of medicine (Director of Tailor Made Back Pain Clinic*2), and TRUNK SOLUTION CORPORATION.*3 To create an easy and enjoyable way to engage in exercise, Lion collaborated with TANOTECH CORPORATION (hereinafter, TANOTECH) in the joint development of the TANO-LT gaming console, a no-contact, motion-based TANO*4 training system with no worn components developed by TANOTECH. We began supplying this console to nursing care facilities in September 2022.*5
Aiming to users to engage in efficient and high motivated exercise on a continuous basis, we worked with Dr. Matsudaira and TANOTECH,*6 to jointly develop TANO-LT Plus, a scientifically based exercise habit-building service. The new service incorporates more functions than the earlier TANO-LT and was launched in June 2023. As the user plays, TANO-LT Plus acquires the individual’s skeletal and vocalization data, which it uses to create an “active life scale”, a visual representation of the user’s physical condition with regard to six functions important for long-term health, as well as a personalized exercise plan. Being able to see a visualization of their individual functional fitness level and provided with a personalized exercise plan motivates users to continue exercising and encourages them to make exercise a habit.
IRISE Nerima Shakujiidai, a paid nursing home operated by HITOWA Care Service Co., Ltd., introduced this service and conducted trials and the program has been well received for its usefulness in helping facility residents take charge of their independence and recreation.
*1 Report by expert study groups on healthy life expectancy from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (2019)
*2 Affiliation/position at the time of development: Project Professor, 22nd Century Medical and Research Center, The University of Tokyo Hospital
*3 Lion develops virtual game that can train three functions (oral, sleep and motor) at once (Japanese)
*4 TANO is a registered trademark of a product developed by TANOTECH CORPORATION
*5 Launch of TANO-LT game console for nursing facilities with Kenkomintaiso to train oral fitness, sleep and motor functions in a fun way (Japanese)
*6 Sales of TANO-LT Plus launched, with added technology compared to sales of TANO-LT game for nursing facilities (Japanese)
Please see here for further details on TANO-LT
TANO-LT, the fun nursing care exercise game powered by motion sensors. (lion.co.jp)
Please see here for further article on TANO-LT
An article covering our project has been published on the elderly care facility search website "Minna no Kaigo".(Japanese)
