Virtual Coach Reaches Out "To Me" - V2me
Coordinating Institution:
Université du Luxembourg
From: 01/05/2010
To: 30/04/2013
Budget: 481,379.00€
Contact(s):
Ferring Dieter
Summary
V2me combines real life and virtual social network elements to prevent and overcome loneliness in Europe’s aging populations. Its overall goal is to enhance the quality of life of the network members. To fulfil this goal V2me supports active ageing by increased integration in the society through the provision of advanced social connectedness and social network services and activities. V2me implements this goal by a flexible assistive living solution to prevent loneliness with particular emphasis on acceptance by senior end users. Rooted in scientific theory and research, it uses evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies to develop a social facilitator that enables both prevention of loneliness in young-old individuals (65-74 years) and successful intervention in older generations (75+ years).
As an intelligent combination of off-the-shelf and innovative technology (hardware and software) hiding behind a simple, user friendly interface, V2me presents itself as a coach with two distinct functions: (1) mediating relationships by supporting contact with other users from existing kin, friends, and professional networks, and potential new communication partners (enriching social networks). (2) V2me itself also interacts with the user in an adaptive personalised way to establish a para-social relationship (as an additional contribution to preventing loneliness).
Project participants. The project regroups nine partners from five European countries (DE, LU, NL, FI, AT, NO) that stem from both the private and the public sector. The coordination of this interdisciplinary consortium is assured by the “Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.“. By means of its interdisciplinary composition, the group provides the necessary technical and human resources to fulfill the aims and tasks of the project.
Luxembourg research team: Dieter Ferring (P.I.), Tom Michels, Isabelle Albert
Coordinator: Fraunhofer Institut für Graphische Datenverarbeitung