A new technology project is aiming to tackle one of the most difficult challenges facing elderly and vulnerable people living independently: how to stay safe at home without sacrificing privacy and dignity.
Fort and Fables Ltd, a greenfield deeptech start-up, has developed Project Barnaby, a proposed home-monitoring system designed to provide discreet, round-the-clock safeguarding without relying on cameras or wearable panic buttons.
Traditional alarm pendants depend on a person being conscious and able to press a button, while cameras can raise legitimate concerns about privacy and dignity. Project Barnaby aims to offer an alternative by using small, wall-mounted sensor devices, known as “pucks”, positioned around the home.
The company says the technology is designed to detect potential emergencies, including falls and other distress events, and automatically alert designated family members or care providers.
The need for new approaches is increasingly recognised across the UK’s social care sector. Government-backed research has highlighted the potential for sensor-based technologies to help people remain independent for longer, improve safety and support care workers. The Department of Health and Social Care is also developing evidence standards for digital care technologies to ensure new systems demonstrate genuine benefits and value.
The pressures facing professional and unpaid carers are also considerable. Research has previously highlighted concerns about short homecare visits, with a UNISON investigation finding that 74% of local authorities in England were limiting some homecare visits to 15 minutes. The organisation reported that many care workers felt such visits did not provide enough time for dignified care.
For families, the worry of having an elderly or vulnerable relative living alone can be equally significant. A system capable of providing an additional layer of reassurance between scheduled care visits could potentially help reduce some of that anxiety while allowing people to retain greater independence.
According to Fort and Fables, Project Barnaby uses localised acoustic and environmental sensing rather than cameras. The company says analysis takes place on devices within the home rather than sending sensitive audio or personal information to external cloud servers. It also says the system is intended to operate without a mandatory monthly subscription for households that already have broadband or mobile connectivity.
The project also incorporates a dedicated tablet intended to provide digital companionship, helping residents stay connected and potentially reducing loneliness and isolation.
The company says its ambitions extend beyond technology. If funding is secured, Fort and Fables intends to develop a neurodivergent- and disability-inclusive workplace, with flexible, asynchronous remote working designed to remove barriers that can exclude people from conventional employment.
The approach also fits into a wider national conversation about technology, independence and employment. The Government’s current digital social care work recognises the potential for technology to improve independence and safety, while its Get Britain Working programme is focused on helping more people into sustained employment and supporting inclusive workplaces.
Fort and Fables is currently pursuing government and charitable funding but says grant processes can take time. To support the launch of immediate safety trials, the company has launched a Crowdfunder campaign.
Members of the public can find out more about Project Barnaby and support the campaign through the Project Barnaby Crowdfunder campaign.
The project’s central proposition is straightforward: that people should not have to choose between being safe and maintaining their dignity and privacy in their own homes.
