Communication Technology in an Aging World

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Communication Technology in an Aging World

• James L. Fozard
• Prepared for the Third ISG Masterclass on
  Gerontechnology
• TUE, Eindhoven NL, 11-12, 2008

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References in form of electronic files for this
lecture
Fozard, J.L. Impacts of technology on health
and self-esteem. Gerontechnology, 2005,
63-76. Fozard, J.L., Kearns, W.D. Impacts of
technology interventions on communication in
aging and aged persons. In G. Lesnoff-Caravaglia
(Eds.) Gerontechnology Growing old in a
technological society. Springfield, IL Charles
Thomas, 2007, pp.271-291. Kearns, W.D., and
Fozard, J.L. High speed networking and embedded
gerontechnologies. Gerontechnology, 2007, 6,
135-146. The summary for this lecture was
adapted from a paper, Communication
technology changes how we age, by James L.
Fozard and William D. Kearns published in the
Proceedings of the ISG08 Conference held in
Pisa, June, 2008.
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You are part of a growing group of young
engineers and scientists working in
Gerontechnology. This Masterclass at Nan Kai
University of Technology in May, 2008 was their
second one.
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Topics of Presentation

• Aging world, changing communication technologies
• Communication technology and the goals of
  gerontechnology
• Prevention
• Compensation for age limitations in
  sensory-perceptual systems
• Complex communications involving people and
  machines
• Care, quality of life
• Future developments

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Topics of Presentation

• Aging world, changing communication technologies
• Communication technology and the goals of
  gerontechnology
• Prevention
• Compensation for age limitations in
  sensory-perceptual systems
• Complex communications involving people and
  machines
• Care, quality of life
• Future developments

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Projected increases in age distribution in the
world

• By 2050 20 of the population will be over 60
• In some developed countries today, the proportion
  of older persons is nearly 20. During the first
  half of the 21st century that proportion will
  reach one in four and in some countries one in
  two.
• (Source Population Division, Department of
  Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations
  Secretariat)

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USA Census 1975
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Projected USA Census 2050
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Rapid changes in the man-made technological
environment

• A TUE Professor of History of Technology said in
  1993 that some 90 of the advances in technology
  occurred during the 20th century
• Some examples of widespread technology
  applications since about 1990
• Internet and e-mail search machines
• Mobile phone sms
• Digital camera
• Navigation tools (GSM)
• Games
• Robots
• Smart products and systems (adaptive)

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Changing communication technology affects how we
age

• The experiences with technology we have through
  our first 25 years affects how
• we adapt to a changing world. Jim, Bill,
  Francesco and Michelle were born in different
  technology generations. Question
• How will Michelle age?

James Fozard
Bill Kearns
Francesco Franchimon
Michelle Wicklert
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Communication Technology Changes How We Age
James Fozard

• How will Michelle age?

Bill Kearns
Francesco Franchimon
Michelle Wicklert
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Communication Technology Changes How We Age
According the theory of technology generations
used to technology before 25
James Fozard
Bill Kearns

• How will Michelle age?

Francesco Franchimon
Michelle Wicklert
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Communication Technology Changes How We Age
According the theory of technology generations
used to technology before 25
James Fozard
Bill Kearns
Francesco Franchimon

• How will Michelle age?

Michelle Wicklert
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Communication Technology Changes How We Age
According the theory of technology generations
used to technology before 25
James Fozard
Bill Kearns
Francesco Franchimon
Michelle Wicklert

• How will Michelle age?

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Consequences of changing person-environment
interactions

• Aging society means greater heterogeneity of
  users of technological environments and services
• Changes in the technological environment increase
  requirements for adaptation by persons of all
  ages who create and use the environment
• Aged persons often have more difficulty in
  adopting new technology because of long
  experience with older technologyunlearning is
  harder than new learning

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Topics of Presentation

• Aging world, changing communication technologies
• Communication technology and the goals of
  gerontechnology
• Prevention
• Compensation for age limitations in
  sensory-perceptual systems
• Complex communications involving people and
  machines
• Care, quality of life
• Future developments

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Older peoples goalscontinued functional
independence

• Maintain
• health as long as possible
• functional independence in housing,
  transportation, recreation, learning and work
• financial resources to live independently
• communication with family and friends
• Create
• new social contacts to substitute for those lost
  through death and separation from family
• Communication technology contributes to all

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Gerontechnologys four types of intervention
(goals)

• Prevention and engagementtechnology that delays
  or prevents age-associated physiological and
  behavioral changes that restrict human
  functioning
• Compensation and assistancetechnology that
  compensates for age-associated losses in strength
  and perceptual-motor functioningthe most
  frequent use
• Care support and organizationtechnology
• used by caregivers of elderly persons with
  disabilities, e.g., devices that lift and move
  physically disabled persons,
• machines that administer and monitor the use of
  medications and
• equipment that provides information about
  physiological functioning to remote location
• Enhancement and Satisfaction
• Improve quality of life at all three levels

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Communication relates to all of gerontechnologys
goals

• Prevention Coaching in cardiovascular and
  strength training, available as never before
• Compensation Smart homes/environments, robots
• Care/support High quality home based medical and
  rehab services available
• Enhancement Promote virtual social and artistic
  activities Facilitate shopping, learning and
  work at home

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Networking can improve coaching in strength
training

• Prevention is appropriate health-related
  intervention to improve functioning, gait
  quality, lower risk of falls
• Networking can improve motivation and quality of
  feedback from strength training
• Reinforcement from sharing information by peers
  doing similar workouts
• Wearable transducers provide information on
  quality and required number of maneuvers

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Boston Red Sox Deploy
Activity-Monitoring Technology
SOUTHBOROUGH, MA /BUSINESS WIRE/ -- It's hardly
noticeable, but the Boston Red Sox players are
all wearing a small, wireless, intelligent
pedometer called the ActiPed, from
Massachusetts-based FitSense Technologyit's an
activity monitor that accurately tracks your
every step, the calories you burn, how much time
you've been active, and how far you went in miles.
The ActiHealth network provides physiological
information and feedback tools for health and
wellness program providers that engage and
motivate their members, changing their behaviors
and improving health. The network seamlessly
collects, transports, and presents information on
physical activity, weight, body fat, blood
pressure, heart rate, peak flow, and blood
glucose, for anyone, anytime, anywhere.
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Technology for compensation and care
interventions

• Established technologies include
• Hearing and vision aids
• Text to speech converters
• Electronic memory aids
• Emerging technologies include
• Smart homes and environments
• Robots
• Telemedicine
• Location aware cueing

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Compensation Visual Acuity

• In everyday situations, poor illumination,
  contrast and target characteristics greatly
  reduce acuity and contrast sensitivity of older
  persons.
• Examples from Japan illustrate lighting and
  contrast needed to reduce/eliminate age
  differences.

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Visual acuity measured by letter or Landolt Ring
increases as much as 80 with luminance and
brings oldest group almost to level of youngest
at lower luminance levels. Data from Research
Institute of Human Engineering for Quality Life,
Osaka Japan, 1999.
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Need Multiple Approaches to Improving Image
Quality

• Applied research on equivalent visibility
  functions across age--using combinations of
  illumination, contrast, and targets
• Consumer education Mockups of kitchen, home
  office etc. that allow older people to see how to
  improve personal lighting etc. Mockups could be
  in lighting stores, Optician stores, senior
  centers etc.

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Need Multiple Approaches to Improving Image
Quality

• Consumer services Small portable lighting aids
  in restaurants for menus and bills better design
  of price tags, directions and prices of
  merchandise.
• Improved use of electronic reading devices
  flexible print size and contrast.
• Greater use of digital hearing aids that
  selectively amplify frequencies and suppress very
  high intensity signals

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Topics of Presentation

• Aging world, changing communication technologies
• Communication technology and the goals of
  gerontechnology
• Prevention
• Compensation for age limitations in
  sensory-perceptual systems
• Complex communications involving people and
  machines
• Care, quality of life
• Future developments

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Complex communication systems

• Nontraditional notions of communication
• Telemedicine
• Personal service robot
• Cell phone as computer networked device
• Robot as cell phone
• Cell phone as robot
• Blending of discrete devices (phone, TV, radio,
  internet, robot) into one seamless communications
  tool

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Telemedicine, smart houses

• Cameras, sensors allow remote monitoring and
  treatment of homebound patients
• Movements and activities similarly monitored with
  extended smart house technologies
• Mobile-Health Toolkit wirelessly measures blood
  pressure, blood glucose, etc. and relays
  information to patient records

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Smart Houses
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Personal service robots

• Honda Asimo does some chores and caregiving
  under voice, hand gesture control
• Pearl is used in an assisted living settings
  escorts patients to medical appointments at pace
  set by patient
• Sony AIBO robotic doll provides 6 simulated
  emotions to actions of person using it
• PARO a robotic hear seal provides comfort and
  calming to nursing home patients with dementia

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Networked Robotics

• Saito, T., Shibata, T., Wada, K. Tanie, K.
  (2003). Relationship between interaction with
  the mental commit robot and change of stress
  reaction of the elderly. Proceedings of the 2003
  IEEE International Symposium on Computational
  Intelligence in Robotics and Automation. July
  16-20, Kobe, Japan.

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PARO Mental Commit Robot
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Using location aware technology to manage
wandering in dementia

• Outdoors GPS based networked services for
  finding lost elders who wander from nursing homes
• Indoors Ultra-wideband RF systems allow
  placement to within 20 cm within a building
• Communication technology can be linked to
  location based services to provide instructions
  to patients or to alert caregivers
• Kearns WD, Algase D, Moore DH, Ahmed S. Ultra
  wideband radio A novel method for measuringh
  wandering persons with dementia. Gerontechnology,
  2008, 7,48-57

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Ubisense Compact Tag

• 38mm x 39mm x 16.5mm
• Weight 25g
• Affixed by wrist strap or various other methods
• Battery life exceeds 3 years
• Indoor range estimated at 183m
• Update rate variable from 0.01Hz to 20Hz
• Durable, water resistant and relatively
  unobtrusive

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Placement of 4 Ubisense sensors in the common
space of an Assisted Living Facility in Tampa,
Florida. Left 2 exits to bedrooms of residents.
Right bottom exit to dining area. Right top
exit from Assisted Living Facility. Area
monitored Approximately 64 X 23 m
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Complex communication technology--Conclusions

• Networked technology facilitates people getting
  information about themselves, their environment
  and consumables
• Coaching, home based medical and rehab services
  available as never before
• Potential for longitudinal research on aging in
  natural settings is greatly increased