(NewsNation) — A sock combining sensors and artificial intelligence that could help prevent falls and agitation in people with dementia is currently being tested in the United Kingdom.

SmartSocks, according to Louise Vennells of the University of Exeter, track heart rate, sweat levels and motion to give insight into a person’s cognitive state and distress levels.

As it is now, physiological monitors that do the same are frequently worn on wrist straps, Vennells wrote, which can cause stigma or stress for patients who sometimes remove them.

On the other hand, SmartSocks look and feel like normal socks and don’t need charging.

Dr. Zeke Steer, who invented the SmartSock, came up with it after his great-grandmother was diagnosed with dementia. During this time, she would become aggressive and anxious.

Steer, who once had a job in the defense industry, decided to get a Ph.D. in robotics, which is when he developed SmartSocks.

“The current product is the result of extensive research, consultation and development. So far SmartSocks have been incredibly well-received in care settings, and I’m excited to see what impact our products can have in providing early alerts of agitation and falls, enabling care home staff to take early intervention, and support people to stay in their own homes for as long as possible,” Steer said.

Milbotix, a care technology startup that Steer is the CEO of, partnered with teams at two institutions in the United Kingdom to test SmartSocks. In one study, Milbotix is working with the University of Exeter to test whether the socks can work to support people in residential facilities, while in another study, the company is teaming up with the UK Dementia Research Institute to test the garments in their “living lab.” The living lab is a domestic environment where people study technologies before they are tested in the home.

After this, the SmartSocks will be tested in the homes of 15 people living with dementia.

The manager of one facility where the socks are being tested told the BBC she welcomes any technology that helps people communicate.

“Anything that would reduce a level of anxiety and therefore increase someone’s well-being has to be a complete bonus,” Manager Kerry Dempsey of The Old Rectory said.