Smart home technology improves life for older adults

Improving the quality of life for older people is the focus of an international conference that will highlight smart home technology at Iowa State University. The sixth annual International Conference on Smart homes and health Telematics (ICOST) is coming to the Scheman Building in Ames. The conference begins June 30 and runs through July 2.

 

A smart home has embedded computers, information appliances, micro/nano systems, and multi-modal sensors to assist its occupants with nearly every aspect of their everyday lives. Embedding technology into homes can make almost any person's life easier, says Jennifer Margrett, an assistant professor of gerontology in human development and family studies, who is on the local steering committee for the conference.

 

"The technology can help elders stay in homes safely and independently," said Mary Yearns, professor in human development and family studies. "Examples include virtual doctor visits from home, automated blood pressure monitoring, talking face-to-face via flat screen monitors, and microwave ovens that read bar codes on food packages so cooking time is automatically set," said Yearns.

 

"We talk about 'aging in place,' particularly for rural adults, as we find ways that houses can be accommodating their changing needs," said Margrett. "With technology, we can monitor a person's movements, automate appliances, and make it easier for them to communicate with loved ones and doctors. Ideally, it would become universal so that all homes incorporate these technologies."

 

"Smart home technology helps people maintain their independence and have better choices.  It puts them in contact with providers.  It can be a less expensive route than care facilities because it keeps them at home," said Margrett.

 

This is the first year the ICOST conference has been held in the United States. In previous years, the conference was held in Japan, France, Singapore, Canada, or Northern Ireland.

 

It's also the first year that gerontology will be addressed at an ICOST conference. "Carl Chang made the case that rural aging is particularly important to be addressed," said Margrett.

 

Chang, professor and chair of computer science, attended the ICOST conference last year in Nara, Japan, and persuaded the group's Scientific Committee that the next ICOST should be held in Ames. Chang is general chair for the 2008 conference.

 

Gerontologists and other behavioral scientists are expected to participate in the conference for the first time, due to the theme of smart homes and rural aging, said Margrett.

 

"Typically, a lot of computer science and technology folks [attend ICOST conferences].  This year, we anticipate participants from multiple disciplines - psychologists, engineers, computer science," she said.

 

"It is exciting that experts in Smart Home technologies from around the world are coming to share their knowledge and experience in this particular research space," said Chang.

 

Iowa State is particularly well-positioned to host the conference, said Margrett.

 

"Dr. Peter Martin has been working extensively with a multidisciplinary group on campus. The aim of this group is to link technology and the needs of older adults. To this end, the group has hosted a seminar where graduate students and faculty focused on assistive technology and smart homes" said Margrett. "Our gerontechnology group includes diverse faculty from the behavioral sciences and computer science including Dr. Martin, Dr. Chang, Dr. Johnny Wong, Dr. Mary Yearns, and Dr. Simanta Mitra.

 

"Smart home technology, gerontechnology, and aging has become a priority for the gerontology program," said Martin, professor in human development and family studies and director of the gerontology program.

 

"Older adults are quite receptive to technological changes in their environment, particularly if they improve quality of life. The synergy between computer science and gerontology promises exciting new ways to develop assisted technologies that are of direct benefit to all older adults," said Martin.

 

"It's exciting that gerontologists and professionals in computer technology are talking.  Gerontology is inherently interdisciplinary, but I get the feeling that computer science has not been.  This is very interdisciplinary. It's really that human-computer interaction side," said Margrett.

 

The conference will focus on a number of assistive technologies designed to improve life for older adults and their caregivers: computers that adapt to different contexts; sensors that recognize particular faces; machines that react to various facial expressions; devices that help people hear better; interfaces that augment people's cognitive functions; environments that adjust automatically to each individual's daily routines; electronics for monitoring vulnerable people so they can stay in their homes longer.

 

"The closing session at the conference will feature a web conference presentation from a smart home that has been extensively modified to accommodate the special needs of a man who has cerebral palsy," said Yearns.  "A reaction panel will provide their perspectives on the future of these innovations in changing the lives of frail elders and people with disabilities."

 

Ethical issues will also be discussed. Experts will consider the tradeoffs between maintaining personal privacy and having sensors and monitors to assure the safety and security of individuals.

 

"We're focused on rural aging and making more options and opportunities available," said Margrett.  "It's not just about disability.  It's about enhancing daily life and the options that people have."

 

Event sponsors include several Iowa State University groups, including the Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Department of Computer Science, College of Human Sciences, and Extension to Families. Other sponsors include the Office of Disability and Health, a division of the Iowa Department of Public Health, and Institut Telecom in France.

 

For more information about the ICOST conference or smart home technology, see the Iowa State University news release at www.public.iastate.edu/~nscentral/news/2008/jun/ICOST.shtml, visit the ICOST web site at www.cs.iastate.edu/~icost/, or phone Mary Yearns at 515 294-8520.