AIP Bulletin

Helping you AIP in your home, your way.

July 2010

"Home is not where you live, but where they understand you."

Intel announced a new research division at their Annual Labs' Day event "Interaction and Experience Research" (IXR), that is focused on defining new user experiences and new computing platforms. The IXR Lab is expected to produce innovations that help re-imagine how we will experience computing in the future. Engagement and experience with technology will become much more personal and social through individual user contexts informed by sensors, increased by cloud intelligence, and driven by more natural interactions such as touch, gesture and voice.

"Better technology isn't enough these days," said Chief Technology Officer Justin Rattner. "What the individual values today is a deeply personal, information experience. When I look ahead, this is the biggest change in computing I see coming. At Intel, we've been building up our capabilities in the user experience and interaction areas for over a decade. We've recently assembled an outstanding team of researchers consisting of both user interface technologists and social scientists to create the next generation of user experiences. We've learned, for example, that the television experience isn't the same thing as the Web experience, even though more and more TV will be delivered via the Internet. Browsing the Web at 10 feet is an experience few people relish, but television experienced via the Internet is a huge step beyond broadcast."

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EmpowerAbility,LLC

Intel Labs already has a strong focus on the next generation of user experience technologies. Current work around context and location has yielded a range of insights and technological possibilities. For example, the idea that devices will understand their surroundings, communicate with each other and change behavior or take actions based on the user's environment.

One particular project on display at the event, coined SENS, represents a new wave of social networking that provides the ability to monitor real-time activities and display these activities live and direct to networked friends and family.

Researchers also demonstrated an experimental, low-cost energy sensor, which could help change the way consumers manage personal energy consumption at home. When coupled with a home information display, it would monitor usage, recommend solutions for more efficiency and reward success. The sensor needs only to be plugged into the house wiring to instantaneously measure and wirelessly report the power consumption of each electrical load in the home, providing data to analyze energy usage of devices and appliances throughout.

Chronically ill people would benefit from collaborative sensing technology that continuously monitors heart rate.

This technology forms the heart of a personal energy management system that could lead to valuable changes in behavior and save staggering amounts of energy.

Other technology demonstrated at the event was a system that changes a user's engagement with technology, i.e. projection and 3-D cameras to light up nearby surfaces displaying buttons, windows, images and movies onto work surfaces, tabletops or other flat spaces. The video and vision system is able to recognize hand gestures and objects, turning everyday surfaces such as a kitchen counter, coffee table or classroom desk into an interactive portal to the device and the Internet. Also demonstrated was a more futuristic example, a computer that could read a user's thoughts, replacing the need for typing altogether.

Click here to see a slide show of "some of the more interesting projects" according to Chris Preimseberger of E-Week. Slides 4,5 + 13 are particularly AIP related.
 

Professor Emeritus James J. Pirkl, FIDSA, executive director of Transgenerational Design Matters, offers this age-in-place design tip for achieving an attractive—and accessible—home entry, which improves the quality of life for all—young or old, able or disabled. This innovative “transgenerational” design solution:

Easy-Access, Protected Package-Drop-Entry

A smoothly paved walkway, sloped for drainage, leads to a wide, well-lighted and weather-protected entry alcove. Park your groceries and parcels in the raised area while you retrieve your house keys (an optional remote controller offers easier access for people with impaired gripping ability). Wheelchair users appreciate the adjacent 5’-0” diameter, 360 degree clear turnaround space. The level threshold provides an easy no-step, no-trip access. The full-length side window permits people of all ages, heights and abilities to view visitors before opening the door (no peephole required). Once inside, place your groceries on the convenient pass-thru counter and retrieve them easily from the adjacent kitchen. Click here to see more pictures of “transgenerational” designs.

Click here for comments/questions: An Accessible Home Entry
 

"Who Lives in This Room?" an article in the New York Times by Joan DeJean discusses the evolution of the living room beginning in the late 17th century when architects started to think about "what 'living' in the home meant."

Click here to read the full article.
 

Your rants, raves, suggestions and stories are always welcome...especially the raves!  Seriously, tell us what we can do to help you age-in-place, in your home, your way.  Send your comments to talktous@aipathome.com.

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