The document summarizes a presentation given at Goldsmiths, University of London on December 15th, 2010. The presentation discussed research from several EU-funded projects focused on developing cognitive support technologies for older adults, including COGKNOW, NOCTURNAL, PEOPPLE, BRAIN, and MyHealth@Age. It highlighted the importance of involving older adult users in the research process to identify needs and ensure technologies are accessible, usable, and beneficial. Living lab models were presented as a way to capture real needs early and advance innovations while managing tensions between user needs and technical capabilities.

1. A University of Ulster Innovation Lab
visit trail.ulster.ac.uk

2. Realising the Promise of
Technology: How People
Make All the Difference
Maurice Mulvenna
TRAIL Living Lab, University of Ulster
Workshop on
Cognitive Support Technology for Older People
Organised by EU-funded projects:
Goldsmiths,
University of
London
15th Dec 2010

3. Goldsmiths, University of London 15th Dec 2010
Outline
¨ Recent research from Ofcom Advisory Committee on
Older and Disabled people (ACOD)
¤ Potential benefits of next-generation services
¨ Research project work from our living lab
¤ COGKNOW
¤ NOCTURNAL
¤ PEOPPLE
¤ BRAIN
¤ MyHealth@Age
¨ General Perspectives & Observations

4. Goldsmiths, University of London 15th Dec 2010
Goal
“generate new conceptual
frameworks for how to advance
and promote AT research for
older people”

5. Goldsmiths, University of London 15th Dec 2010
Potential benefits of next-generation
services
¨ To identify:
¤ New and near-future Next Generation Services that
have the potential to benefit older and disabled
people’s lives
n Includes existing services that could be enriched as a result
of faster broadband connections
¤ Potential benefits from such services
¤ Risks and challenges to potential benefit realisation
¤ Examining health and wellbeing, work and education,
leisure as well as other day-to-day services

6. Goldsmiths, University of London 15th Dec 2010
Risks
¨ Key risks and challenges identified include:
¤ Accessibility
¤ Logistics, e.g. seamless technical integration
¤ Impact, e.g. potential for increased isolation or
dependence

7. Goldsmiths, University of London 15th Dec 2010
Issues
¨ Infrastructure: ensuring adequate, reliable network
infrastructure and connectivity;
¨ Usability and accessibility: international co-
ordination to support development of accessible
products
¨ Cost: ensuring people are not excluded due to
affordability
¨ Implementation: more coordinated interaction
between stakeholders to minimise the logistical risks

8. Goldsmiths, University of London 15th Dec 2010
¨ To develop and evaluate a user-validated remotely
configurable cognitive prosthetic device with
associated services for people with mild dementia
¨ Helping people navigate their day:
¤ Reminding function
¤ Activity support
¤ Activity assistance
¤ Safety warnings

9. Goldsmiths, University of London 15th Dec 2010
¨ Provide therapeutic support and guidance to this
group of people during the hours of darkness
¤ Investigate the needs of people with dementia at night
time
¤ Research new technological capabilities that support
sophisticated service offerings
¤ Offer therapeutic interventions using music and familiar
images of loved ones at bedside device
¤ Sleep measurements variables: quantity of sleep,
quality of sleep, rhythm of sleep

10. Goldsmiths, University of London 15th Dec 2010

11. Goldsmiths, University of London 15th Dec 2010
¨ Investigating the unmet needs of
older people living in the local
community (in a variety of living
accommodation). This is being
done by talking with older people
in order to prioritise problems,
seeking the best available evidence
to meet needs, and working with
people to implement and evaluate
the evidence in practice.

12. Goldsmiths, University of London 15th Dec 2010
¨ Significant technical complexity
¨ Getting results outside lab is still
difficult
¨ Integration of technologies is
troublesome
¨ Consistency of results difficult to
achieve
¨ Need for person-centred approach
¨ Participants like being part of process

13. Goldsmiths, University of London 15th Dec 2010
¨ New products and services are
being developed through
participatory research with elderly
people and triple-helix partners in
Northern Ireland, Norway, and
Sweden
¨ The products and services focus on
mobile safety alarms, prescribed
self treatment and context aware
dynamic social networks.

14. Goldsmiths, University of London 15th Dec 2010
Goal
“generate new conceptual
frameworks for how to advance
and promote AT research for
older people”

15. Goldsmiths, University of London 15th Dec 2010
Conceptual framework
¨ Living lab model
¤ Captures real needs at the beginning of the process
¤ Identifies new sources of innovation
¤ Can lessen risk and help accelerate innovation
¨ Lead users
¤ Those that very quickly understand the innovation
problem and articulate their needs because they have
acute and latent needs
¤ Ensure higher validity; manage motivation and buy-in

16. Goldsmiths, University of London 15th Dec 2010
General Perspectives & Observations
¨ Areas for focus:
¤ Triple-helix models
¤ Supporting vulnerable people
¤ Managing the tension between user needs and
advancing the state of the art

17. Goldsmiths, University of London 15th Dec 2010
General Perspectives & Observations
¨ Conceptual frameworks – areas of need:
¤ Triple-helix models

18. Goldsmiths, University of London 15th Dec 2010
General Perspectives & Observations
¨ Conceptual frameworks – areas of need:
¤ Supporting vulnerable people
n Interact with vulnerable people in an equitable manner
n Respecting their needs and wishes ethically
n Adhere to relevant legislative provision in the field of ethics
n All stakeholder organisations who are responsible for
managing adherence to ethical guidelines do so

19. Goldsmiths, University of London 15th Dec 2010
General Perspectives & Observations
¨ Conceptual frameworks – areas of need:
¤ Managing the tension between user needs and
advancing the state of the art
n Balance of the management of innovation activities
n Focuses on the innovation stages:
n Ideation,
n Co-creation
n Evaluation;
n Degree of ‘user-driven-ness’ v. state-of-the-art
advancement.

20. Goldsmiths, University of London 15th Dec 2010
Conclusions
¨ Significant body of academic research that supports the
premise that user-driven innovation creates value in
markets and for society
¨ The network of living labs in Europe has been created,
partly based upon this premise
¨ But it can be argued that there is a lack of evidence
that demonstrates how such living labs articulate their
value proposition, and
¨ How they carry out activities on the ground to work with
users to create the added valued inherent in early
innovation processes.

21. Goldsmiths, University of London 15th Dec 2010
Conclusions
¨ TRAIL has successfully built living lab concepts into
research project activities
¨ This framework simply incorporates people as users
(direct, intermediate, service) into our triple-helix model
¨ Works well to advance research agenda if managed
correctly
¨ Framework is orientated to promote activities at local
and other levels

22. Goldsmiths, University of London 15th Dec 2010
Acknowledgements
¨ All at Ofcom, ACOD committee members
especially Dr Laura Muir, and Dr Jonathan
Freeman / Dr Jane Lessiter from I2 Research
¨ Persons with dementia and their carers who
participated in the COGKNOW field tests in
Amsterdam, Belfast and Luleå. The project was
supported by the European Commission’s
Information Society Technologies (IST)
programme under grant 034025.

23. Goldsmiths, University of London 15th Dec 2010
Acknowledgements
¨ Carers and people with dementia in Northern
Ireland who contribute to the work of the
Nocturnal project, which is supported by the
United Kingdom Research Councils and the
Technology Strategy Board’s Assisted Living
Innovation Platform under grant award TS/
G002452/1.

24. Goldsmiths, University of London 15th Dec 2010
Acknowledgements
¨ Professor Tara Dean, Dr Amy Drahota, Chris
Gale, Dia Soilemezi and all at School of Health
Sciences & Social Work, University of
Portsmouth
¨ HEIF Funding support

25. Goldsmiths, University of London 15th Dec 2010
Acknowledgements
¨ All the persons who participate in the field tests
in Cedar Foundation, Northern Ireland and in
Spain. The research leading to these results has
received funding from the European
Community's Seventh Framework Programme
under grant agreement n° 224156.

26. Goldsmiths, University of London 15th Dec 2010
Acknowledgements
¨ All the persons who participate in the field tests
in Newry, Tromsø and Luleå for the project
which is supported by the Northern Periphery
Programme

27. Goldsmiths, University of London 15th Dec 2010
Links
¨ www.ofcom.org.uk
¨ www.ofcom.org.uk/about/how-ofcom-is-run/committees/older-
and-disabled-people/research
¨ www.cogknow.eu
¨ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKJTmzp33Z4
¨ www.nocturnalproject.co.uk
¨ www.port.ac.uk/research/shsswresearch/projects/
peoppleproject
¨ www.brain-project.org
¨ www.myhealth-age.eu

28. …THANKS