Developing Independent Living Support for Older Adults Using Internet of Things and AI-Based Systems: Co-Design Study

Area of Science:

• Gerontology and Health Informatics
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Assistive Technology Development

Background:

• Growing number of older adults face unmet health and support needs.
• Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) offer potential benefits for supporting independent living and health risk measurement in older adults.
• Co-design approaches are crucial for developing user-centered technological solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate stakeholder perceptions of independent living and technology.
• Identify how technology can assist older adults in living independently.
• Explore the acceptability and usefulness of the NEX system, an IoT prototype, for supporting older adults' independent living.

Main Methods:

• A 3-phase development process with strong stakeholder involvement.
• Predesign phase: 17 stakeholders explored perceptions via personas and scenarios.
• Co-design and testing phase: 380 stakeholders surveyed, 7 older adults tested the NEX prototype at home.
• Postdesign phase: Workshops for data analysis and future recommendations.

Main Results:

• Key themes identified: loneliness and technology, aging and technology, technology adoption.
• Technology can assist with home security, fall detection, remote monitoring, and communication.
• Ambient sensors and voice assistants showed high acceptability among users.
• Ambient sensors can automatically detect activities of daily living.

Conclusions:

• Diverse stakeholder perspectives are vital for developing effective independent living solutions.
• In-home prototype testing provides essential insights into real-world user experiences with technology.
• Ambient sensors show significant potential for future development in supporting daily living activities.