Developing userdriven approaches to research and development for ambient technologies

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Developing user-driven approaches to research and
development for ambient technologies

• Andrew Sixsmith
• Simon Fraser University, British Columbia
• IAGG Conference, Paris, July 2009
• IAGG C

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Ambient Assisted Living

• Emerging information and communication
  technologies (ICTs), such as pervasive
  computing, ubiquitous computing and ambient
  assistive living have considerable potential for
  enhancing the lives of many older people.
• Use pervasive technology to enable older people
  to live independently in their own homes.
• Smart information and communication technologies
  (ICTs)
• Sensors can movement detect smoke, temperature,
  door status, location of person etc..
• Actuators can be speech synthesizers, digital TVs
  with avatars, device regulators (for switching
  devices on/off or modifying their behaviour),
  emergency callers to a call centre etc..
• Linking these- ambient middleware, which provides
  intelligence by receiving user commands and
  inputs from sensors, interpreting them and
  providing appropriate reactions via actuators in
  the house.

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SOPRANO project

• However, research and development in this area
  has to deal with a number of challenges, not
  least being how should we explore, visualize and
  map out this unchartered area in order to exploit
  this potential.
• Todays presentation looks at EU project SOPRANO
  which is developing technologies within the
  framework of ambient assisted living.
• A key concern within this work is to move away
  from technology-push and problem-focused
  approaches to researching technology and ageing
  to an approach that is driven by gerontological
  concepts and theories.

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SOPRANO Consortium

• SOPRANO is a three year integrated project (IP)
  funded by the EUs 6th Framework programme
• The consortium comprises
• 25 partners
• Commercial, university, service sectors
• 7 countries represented
• Website http//www.soprano-ip.org

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Research challenges

• AAL projects such as SOPRANO are very large and
  diffuse- multidisciplinary but not
  transdisciplinary
• Assumption that user research is trivial- scale
  and resources underestimate the task
• Bio-medical model of old age- focus on
  impairments and problems
• Older people find it difficult to articulate
  their needs
• Information required is often at pre-conscious
  level
• Potential users find it difficult to understand
  and visualize potential technological solutions
• No well-defined methods for including user
  involvement in prototype development
• Lack of evidence to support the use of
  technology

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Stages of user research

• Requirements capture
• Use-case development
• Use-case refinement
• theatre methods
• Multimedia demonstration
• Iterative prototyping
• Component and system development
• Field trials and evaluation
• Full-system demonstrator
• Large-scale field trial
• Presentation focus on first three stages

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Requirements capture

• Information sources
• Expert consultation
• Literature sources
• User research

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Key challenges/opportunities

• Community participation/contribution to local
  communities
• SOPRANO opportunity System for networking people
  into local political decision-making
• Social isolation/loneliness
• Access to social capital within the community
• Social contacts
• Meaningful life
• Feeling useful
• Contact informal carer
• Communicate independently
• SOPRANO opportunity Having someone to talk to a
  virtual neighbour linking families and service
  users

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Key challenges/opportunities

• Accessing information/Keeping up to date
• Daily newspapers
• WWW
• SOPRANO opportunity System that helps people to
  keep up to date
• Keeping healthy and active
• Nutrition
• Exercises/rehabilitation
• Supporting good routines
• Health monitoring
• SOPRANO opportunity Encouraging and reminding
  people to carry out health oriented actions

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Key challenges/opportunities

• Getting access to shops and services
• SOPRANO opportunity provide easy to use access
  to shops and services
• Forgetfulness
• Appointments
• Objects such as glasses, keys
• SOPRANO opportunity Reminding system for key
  points in daily life
• Checking up on care provision
• Appointments of care provision
• Care provider (person)
• Duration of care giving
• SOPRANO opportunity System could help to better
  control quality of care delivered at home.