Ibilight is rather simple. It is a lamp that older adults, such as your grandparents, keep at home. They can touch it anytime to send you signals. You, on the other end, have an app that receives the notification and that turns the light on, letting your grandmother know that you are thinking of her. Which is precisely what inspired Tunc to create the lamp. ‘I was doing research into e-health technologies for older adults but, shortly after the Covid-19 pandemic started, my focus shifted to loneliness,’ she says. ‘We used to visit my grandmother in Brussels all the time, but suddenly that was not possible at all and she was all alone. That motivated me.’
Tunc decided to help people in the same situation as her grandmother. ‘It can be incredibly hard on older people who live alone. If their spouse dies, their life often falls apart. They lose their routine, they don’t go to sleep on time, they fall into unhealthy habits. It has been shown that loneliness leads to many health problems, both physically and mentally.’
Co-designed by older adults
‘I really wanted to find a solution that fits the needs and wishes of older people,’ says the young entrepreneur. ‘Things are often designed for them, but not with them. You need to consider their mindset. Yes, there are apps, like Tinder, that allow you to meet new people, but that is too much of a leap for most older adults. So I started a project to co-design a solution against loneliness directly with elderly.’ Based on their input, Tunc found out that a product like ibilight fits their needs the best. ‘Ibilight is very user friendly and very universal. You don’t need to know any language to use it. It connects you to people you already know and love. That was very important to most people. They already have a network, but they want a way to stay connected while not bothering anyone. Furthermore, most elderly people told us that they feel the most lonely in the evenings – which is why I decided to make a light, a light that shows them that they are not alone.’
sefora tunc
Sefora Tunc, the founder of ibilight, is a PhD candidate at the Biomedical Signals and Systems group (Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science at the UT). She also holds a Bachelor and Master degree from the University of Twente, where she studied Creative Technology and Industrial Design and Engineering. Ibilight is, in fact, a result of her Master thesis which she completed in 2020 and immediately followed by her ongoing doctoral research. With her start-up, Tunc won the UT Challenge category Prototype in June and will represent the UT in Helsinki for the Impact Challenge in December 2021.
Ibilight is still in development, but Tunc already has a functioning app and lamps, both of which have been tested and adjusted based on the users’ feedback. ‘For instance, the first prototype could display many colours, each one symbolizing a different message. However, the users didn’t respond too well to this,’ says the founder. ‘They forgot which colour meant what and they also didn’t like how their living room looked with the coloured light.’ Apart from these small points of criticism, the response to the product has been positive so far. ‘Some people are skeptical, but most seem to like it a lot. During the tests, we saw that it helped create a deeper bond within the family. We noticed that the younger person thought of their parent or grandparent much more often when using the ibilight.’
Start-up challenges
This positive feedback is one of the main reasons why Sefora Tunc pursued the idea, despite some start-up challenges. ‘My parents are both entrepreneurs so this is not an entirely new area for me. And it is a great feeling to be the one in charge! But doing it all alone can be very hard. I have some support, but the heavy lifting is all on me. In the beginning, it is not always rewarding, because you face a lot of rejection. I had trouble finding testers, many elderly homes refused the idea due to the pandemic. I also need to search for a more optimal manufacturing process, because all the lamps are currently made by hand. I would really love to find a business partner, who is technically savvy and can support me in that regard. I think finding a passionate co-owner and the right brainpower will be the biggest challenge for me.’
Regardless of these hurdles, the UT researcher is determined to keep going. She is currently conducting a larger pilot study to validate her design and improve it further. Later this year, she plans to run a Kickstarter campaign and supply ibilight to anyone interested. ‘Loneliness is a big problem and not everyone is so lucky to have family nearby,’ says Tunc. ‘I want everyone to feel connected, let them experience the privilege of family. For me, family is the most important thing in the world.’
