From Smart Homes to Smart-Ready Homes and Communities

Area of Science:

• Gerontology and Assistive Technology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Smart Home Technology

Background:

• Aging populations and increasing dementia rates necessitate innovative living solutions.
• Traditional smart homes are often rigid and fail to adapt to evolving user needs.
• There is a growing demand for integrated technology to support independent living for older adults.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop smart-ready homes and communities adaptable to diverse and changing user needs.
• To enable adaptive updates for assistive technologies, promoting living independence and empowerment.
• To design programmable assistive environments for older adults.

Main Methods:

• Utilized platform technology, a form of the Internet of Things (IoT), to decouple application development from assistive technology deployment.
• Demonstrated dynamic personalization of smart home applications and interfaces in a real-world setting (Gator Tech Smart House).
• Initiated scaling of the platform technology approach to a planned living community within an NHS Healthy New Town project.

Main Results:

• Platform technology successfully enabled dynamic personalization of smart homes to meet changing user needs.
• The Gator Tech Smart House served as a successful proof-of-concept for adaptable smart home environments.
• The approach is being scaled to a community level, integrating smart technology into broader living spaces.

Conclusions:

• Flexible, adaptive, and changeable smart home technology is crucial for lifelong independent living.
• The study advocates for extending the smart-ready concept from individual homes to entire communities.
• A holistic approach considering both homes and communities is necessary for future assistive living environments.