Colloquia Archive
Aware Home Technology to Support Aging-in-Place
October 9, 2008
AbstractImagine your home is “aware” of your activities so that it can help you remember why you went into the kitchen, whether you know the visitor at the front door, or even how to perform a recently learned home medical procedure. An aware home is not science fiction – it is within the reach of current science. It can help older adults maintain their independence, help parents caring for children with disabilities, and help those recovering from illness or injury. Maintaining functional independence is a high priority for many older adults, and remaining in their homes can be key to this independence. An aware home can provide support in numerous ways including alerting the person to an emergency or hazardous situation (e.g., a stove left on), providing information about trends in daily activities (e.g., reduced movements), providing support for daily activities such as medication monitoring or use of medical technologies, and also supporting social communication with family and friends. An innovative research program at Georgia Institute of Technology is developing psychological and computer science approaches to support home activities.
This presentation will include examples of health care technology, communication technology, and memory supports. These examples demonstrate the complexity of the issues involved in designing the computationally capable home of the future and provide direction for future research and development efforts.
BiographyWendy A. Rogers is Professor of Psychology at Georgia Institute of Technology. She is a Principal Investigator in the Center for Research and Education on Aging and Technology Enhancement (CREATE) which focuses on design and training needs for older adults’ interactions with technology. She received her B.A. from the University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth, and her M.S. and Ph.D. from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Prior to returning to Georgia Tech for her current position, she was on the faculty at the University of Memphis and the University of Georgia. She is Co-Director of the Human Factors and Aging Laboratory and her research interests include skill acquisition, human factors, training, and cognitive aging. She is a fellow of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) and the American Psychological Association (APA). She is a recipient of the Franklin V. Taylor Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Field of Applied Experimental and Engineering Psychology and the Mentor Award from APA’s Division 20 and the Retirement Research Foundation. She is a past-president of Division 21 of APA and of HFES. She is currently the Editor of the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied.
