The AARP is partnering with Pfizer Inc. and UnitedHealthcare tolaunch a program called Project Catalyst that will help technologycompanies better understand the needs of the nation’s agingpopulation and improve their products accordingly.

Project Catalyst’s first study focuses on sleep trackers andactivity trackers, two types of health-monitoring technology thatare growing in popularity.

In the study, which will be conducted by the Georgia TechResearch Institute, the behavior of 80 subjects ages 50 and olderwill be monitored as they use five different sleep andactivity-tracking devices for six weeks. Researchers intend toobserve and record how participants engage with the technology anddetermine what elements of each piece of technology can be improvedto better suit the needs of the users.

Broad results of the study will be made available in June, andthe developers of the individual pieces of technology studied willreceive detailed information on the results pertaining to theirproducts in order to inform their ongoing development andinnovation.

“Technology that is designed well – designed for all – can beused by a 5-year-old and a 95-year-old, alike. We are thrilledabout starting this study and commencing the launch of the ProjectCatalyst program,” said Jody Holtzman, AARP senior vice presidentof Thought Leadership. "The goals of Project Catalyst are in directalignment with the mission of AARP – to identify challenges anddetermine solutions to improve the quality of life for people asthey age."

Project Catalyst is not the AARP’s first venture into makingsure that the product needs of the over-50 population aren’toverlooked.

For the past three years, the AARP’s Innovation Team hasconducted a series of “LivePitch” events to showcase startups andentrepreneurs that create health-related technology targeted at the50-and-older population.

The events have drawn over 400 applications since they began,and have enabled companies to raise approximately $47 million inventure capital independent of the AARP.

Last year, the AARP partnered with UnitedHealthcare to launch awebsite titled The Longevity Network, which promotes areas ofpotential investment and innovation relevant to the needs of those50 and older.

Quoting a study titled, “The Longevity Economy,” the AARP saidin a statement that the 50-and-older demographic it represents iscomprised of over 100 million people currently responsible for atleast $7.1 trillion of economic activity per year. That figure isexpected to exceed $13.5 trillion by 2032, according to thestudy.