Smart yet simple compass empowers people with dementia to head out on their own

A new navigation device called Het Kompas is designed to help people with early to mid-stage dementia regain their outdoor independence.

The device features a single button that, when pressed at the user's front door, locks in their home location. Once they head out, the compass's red pointer continuously shows the way home. While Het Kompas includes a GPS tracker, that feature primarily serves to reassure caregivers. AirTags and similar tracking devices are often attached to people with dementia to help locate them if they go missing, but those trackers don't allow someone to find their way home independently, which is the purpose of Het Kompas.

The design process included extensive collaboration with people living with dementia to ensure the device was intuitive and self-explanatory. Field testing involved around 40 participants with varying stages of cognitive decline. Only a few individuals, all in advanced stages, had difficulty using the compass to navigate home. For those with mild to moderate dementia — the target demographic — the device performed as intended.

Two Industrial Design graduates from Eindhoven University of Technology launched Aumens to bring the compass to market. The first batch is scheduled to ship in January 2026. (Related: A palm-sized, AI-powered pebble, TERRA is designed for mindful and screen-free wandering.)

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According to Aumens, 40% of Dutch people with dementia living at home venture outdoors less than once per week, often because they or their loved ones worry about getting lost, or because they lack someone to accompany them. As populations age globally and dementia diagnoses rise, products that uphold autonomy while addressing legitimate safety concerns will become increasingly vital. Het Kompas demonstrates how thoughtful design can merge independence and security, empowering users rather than simply tracking them.