KDDI has announced the Mi-Look, a GPS-capable pedometer with mobile network access for the elderly. The Mi-Look has a waterproof body, QVGA display, and three main buttons. It can also be used to communicate with family members.

The Mi-Look is targeted at families with older parents who aren’t familiar with using mobile devices. It automatically e-mails relatives, letting them know the user’s distance walked and current location. The Mi-Look also has an emergency buzzer, which is operated simply by pulling the strap. KDDI aims to create a new market, using such products to help look after seniors living on their own.

“Often, people worry about their parents being alone, but can’t visit them often, and don’t want to keep calling them up either. In fact, that’s how it is with my parents. So we’ve designed the Mi-Look to let people keep an eye on their parents’ situation unobtrusively. We think there’s a big market for it.”

There’s a sensor in the charging stand which monitors how many times a person walks past and can then mail this data to pre-registered people. In this way, the Mi-Look helps family members look after their senior parents. The dock also acts as a speakerphone and can automatically answer the call, so family members can contact their parents even if they don’t realize the phone is ringing.

“Basically, the Mi-Look doesn’t need a special billing option; it can be handled with a standard subscription. You can use our Simple Plan, which is 780 yen a month, plus our EZ WIN Course for Internet access, which is 315 yen a month. So using the Mi-Look only costs 1,095 yen a month.”

The Mi-Look will retail for 20,000 yen. It’ll be released in September, in time for Japan’s Respect for the Aged national holiday.

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