Technologies de l'Information pour Accompagner le Vieillissement de la Population Luxembourgeoise - TIVIPOL
Coordinating Institution:
CRP Gabriel Lippmann
Contracting Partner(s):
University of Luxembourg
Other Partner(s):
Club Senior, Schifflange ,
Retirement Home Konvikts-Gaart ,
University of Fribourg (CH) ,
University of Namur (B)
From: 01/10/2007
To: 31/12/2009
Budget: 250,000.00€
Contact(s):
Otjacques Benoit
Summary
The TIVIPOL project aims to study how the innovative use of computers can help the elderly people of Luxembourg in their daily lives. For this purpose the design, implementation and evaluation of software prototypes were planned. The applications have a user interface that takes the specific needs and skills of older people into account. The project relies on an interdisciplinary cooperation between researchers in computer science and psychogerontology. Several advanced prototypes were designed and implemented in 2008 to explore new technologies and some innovative combination of them (e.g. phidgets, digital pens, Wiimote, RFID).
The design of the prototypes was supported by a field study carried out in two retirement homes in Luxembourg in order to identify specific attitudes, knowledge and skills of some elderly people who are representative of the project target population. The project team has combined the results of the above-mentioned psychological and technological studies in order to determine the specifications of the final system to be tested in the field by elderly people. The final prototype called SAMMY relies on RFID and tactile color screen technologies.
This system aims to help the residents and the staff to manage the social activities organized within a retirement home. In 2009, several significant improvements were successively added to the initial version developed in 2008 following the feedback of the elderly uses. SAMMY has been deployed for a pilot field study in the “Résidence Grande-Duchesse Joséphine Charlotte” home of Luxembourg city. It has been used weekly by several dozens of older people as well as by some members of the home staff.
A longitudinal psychological study has been carried out to evaluate the feedback from the people who use it. Findings of this study showed a high acceptance and a comparatively stable use of the tool. Findings further indicated that the psychosocial well-being of the elderly users was positively affected. The results of the interdisciplinary project have been published in international conferences in 2009 both in forums of engineering as well psychological science.
Refereed Scientific Publications
- Otjacques Benoît, Krier Marc, Feltz Fernand, Ferring Dieter and Hoffmann Martine (2009), Helping Older People to Manage their Social Activities at the Retirement Home, 23rd Conference on Human Computer Interaction (HCI 2009) in collaboration with ACM, 1-5 September 2009, Cambridge, UK.
- Otjacques Benoît, Krier Marc, Feltz Fernand, Ferring Dieter and Hoffmann Martine (2009), User-Centered Activity Management System for Elderly People, 3rd International Conference on Pervasive Computing Technologies for Healthcare 2009 (Pervasive Health 2009), 1-3 April 2009, London, UK, IEEE Computer Society Editions.
- Otjacques Benoît, Krier Marc, Feltz Fernand, Ferring Dieter and Hoffmann Martine (2009), Early lessons from the design of tactile terminals for elderly people, International Workshop on Technologies to Counter Cognitive Decline 2009 (TCCD 2009), 31 March 2009, London, UK, IEEE Computer Society Editions.
Other Publications
- Hoffmann Martine, Ferring Dieter, Otjacques Benoît & Krier Marc (2009), Technology and Ageing: The Notion of Usability. Poster, 11th European Congress of Psychology, Oslo, Norway, 7-10 July 2009.
Figure: Terminal