USE-MAIS

Project timeframe
1 February 2021 - 31 January 2023
Research area
Responsible Design
Amount awarded
BRL £177,398
Funder ID
FAPESP

The use of Internet of Things (IoT) resources has provided numerous possibilities for the integration of technologies used in the domestic context, within the concept known as 'smart home'. However, despite the evolution of technologies for smart homes and health monitoring, there is still limited knowledge on how to improve the interface of controlling and monitoring systems to enable effective use by older people.

As people age, it is likely that some of their physical, sensorial and cognitive capabilities steadily decline. These losses associate with familiarity with digital technology can impact how older adults understand, use and benefit from what technology can offer to us. If the interactive technologies in smart homes are not properly designed, considering the needs, experience and expectations of potential users, they will not contribute to independent living among older adults.

This project will use the health monitoring resources of an initial prototype of a smart home developed at the Federal University of Lavras (UFLA) in addition to interactions by voice, gestures, and smartphones. It will apply several methods (like questionnaires, interviews, contextual inquiry, focus groups and co-creation sessions) to capture the needs of older adults with different socio-demographic backgrounds and capabilities and involve them in an iterative design process. The project will contribute to the knowledge on the interaction design of equitable interfaces, especially healthcare interfaces in smart homes.

Original Name of the project (in Portuguese): Usabilidade de SistEmas interativos com internet das coisas para controle de casas inteligentes e MonitorAmento da saude do IdoSo – USE_MAIS

  • PI - André Pimenta Freire - Departamento de Ciência da Computação/DCC/UFLA
  • CoI - Emilene Zitkus de Andrade - Loughborough University/LBORO
  • CoI - Erick Galani Maziero - Departamento de Ciência da Computação/DCC/UFLA
  • CoI - Marluce Rodrigues Pereira Pesquisador - Departamento de Ciência
  • CoI - Raphael Winckler de Bettio - Departamento de Ciência da Computação/DCC/UFLA
  • CoI - Renata Pontin de Mattos Fortes - Instituto de Ciências Matemáticas e de Computação/ICMC/USP
  • CoI - Sara Mónica Moutinho Barbosa de Melo - Queen's University Belfast/QUB
 Co-Investigator: Dr Emilene Zitkus