Yesterday's Meeting

For those who weren't there, or aren't clear
Though we couldn't have the mini-presentations that we had envisioned earlier for our meeting yesterday, we had some results:

1. We spoke primarily about our target users. We had to decide between the aging population and the disabilities that accompany aging, and users with disabilities not triggered by age.
OUTCOME: On this, we decided to use the members aging population (suggested as from 65 years onwards) as our target user.

2. We also had to decide on what sort of disabilities we wanted to focus on; motor or cognitive?
OUTCOME: Not everyone had carried out research regarding this, so we rescheduled the meeting to today, after Bryan's lecture (No one showed up, by the way).

3. Concerns were raised regarding the best way we could present the design? Video, Paper, Storyboard? How?
OUTCOME: This is still undecided. But the video prototype looked good to everyone.

Other things we need to decide on include:
1. Would it be an assisted living device, or an assisted living environment that we are creating? (I think it should be a device)
2. From the coursework brief, we can tell that we have to decide on this:
Will the device directly provide assistance? Or, will it facilitate communication with 3rd parties that can help? (I think this area would be interesting to decide on because quite a lot of good ideas can come into play either way)
3. What technologies are we going to need?

From my findings, I have learned/gathered that the most common form of cognitive disabilities among the aging population are dementia (with the most common form being Alzheimer's disease), and delirium. There are social, psychological and other issues related to these that we need to take into consideration in our design. How I wish we could have a real target user to work with!

Anyway, some sites I looked into (could be helpful if you checked it out as well):
AAL:
http://www.aal-europe.eu/
http://www.aal169.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambient_intelligence

Cognitive Disabilities (browse site to see others):
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Alzheimer_s_Disease

Another angle to approach this: Welfare Technology:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welfare_technology
http://welfaretechnology.dk/2010/02/02/aal-forum-2010/


A link to assisted living products already available:
http://www.atdementia.org.uk/productSearch.asp?page_id=16


I found some papers too. I really wish we could have a more comprehensive discussion on this to share and put all our ideas together. Guys, when can this happen? I think tomorrow would be great. If you guys agree to that, should it be before or after novel class?

We need to begin to pull our resources together. Any ideas, comments on this, or any other matter?

O.J.

P.S.-
Andrea, on the time-chart you drew out, what are we supposed to have achieved by this Friday? I checked the links you sent, I think the "enabledbydesign" is especially good, with lots of ideas.