Award-winning Irish teenager to showcase AI Dementia Shield prototype at Athlone’s International Dementia Conference

Wednesday, April 29th: An Irish teenager is set to showcase his award-winning Dementia Shield prototype at this year’s International Dementia Conference, which takes place on the 13th and 14th of May at the Athlone Springs Hotel, Roscommon.

William Brosnan, a secondary school student from Scoil Mhuire in Kanturk, Co. Cork won the SciFest Junior Technologist of the Future Award in November 2025 and the BD STEM Stars Software Award last month.

William’s Dementia Shield project utilises Artificial Intelligence and Augmented Reality with the aim of supporting quality of life for people living with dementia and potentially slowing down the progression of the disease by reducing anxiety and stress.

How it works
William has built two applications that utilise Augmented Reality Smart Glasses and Artificial Intelligence that aim to reduce anxiety and stress in social situations for people with dementia.
Both technologies work in tandem to remind people of time, place, answer questions, recognise faces and provide gentle orientation supports. The app can also dial emergency contacts and share the user’s location if required.

“Together, these two tools aim to guide daily routines, support memory, and give independence,” William said.
“By reducing stress, answering repeated questions calmly, giving reminders, and guiding with GPS, Dementia Shield may help to slow down the progression of dementia,” William added.
The Annual International Dementia Conference
Now in its 18^th year, the International Dementia Conference, which is organised by Engaging Dementia and proudly supported by Dovida, aims to bridge worlds in dementia care and connect global perspectives with local solutions.
The two-day event takes place on Wednesday, the 13^th and Thursday, the 14^th of May at the Athlone Springs Hotel in Roscommon. Those attending will hear from people living with dementia, family carers and supporters, industry-leading researchers, professors and healthcare professionals. This year’s theme is “Let’s Keep Connecting”.
“We are delighted to be able to bring so many people together again this year to highlight some of the incredible work being conducted in the field of dementia care,” Kim Tully, CEO of Engaging Dementia, said.
“There are currently over 60,000 people living with dementia in Ireland, and that figure is predicted to grow to 145,000 over the next 20 years, so it is vital that we continue to develop innovative techniques and therapies that help them and their families cope with a challenging situation while remaining connected to their community,” she added.
“Many of the clients we care for and support are people living with dementia, and we are always exploring new ways to improve our services for them and their families,” Dr Kathy McLoughlin, Director of Disability Services at Dovida, said.
“This conference provides a space to share ideas and learn from those with first-hand experience of living with dementia and experts in the field. We are proud to support Engaging Dementia and share their vision for an inclusive society where people living with dementia are actively engaged in their community,” she concluded.