ICT4 Elderly/Future developments

Contents of the module

• Concepts of Smart City, IoTs, VR/AR, AI;
• Usage of new developments for healthy living (e.g., Smart watch, Health apps);
• Smart home technologies to assist older people and to retain their independence as much as possible;
• Smart devices that can help and guide the elderly through their everyday tasks;
• Usage of online social services which enable older people, their families and friends to communicate and coordinate different activities in online and real life.

Learning objectives

• To be aware of different smart home technologies that can assist older people to continue to live at home with safety and independence;
• To promote independence, health, well-being and quality of life in older adults;
• To empower older people to participate in social networks and to decrease the feeling of isolation;
• Wellness monitoring of a rapidly aging population in developed countries.

Learning outcomes

• Participants will be able to understand the concepts of Smart Cities, Smart Homes and smart devices and to understand the benefits of this development in general (which are beneficial for older adults, but also their families, caregivers and society in general);
• Participants will be able to use smart technologies in intelligent homes and cities;
• Participants are able to connect themselves in Smart City and/or Smart Home systems;
• Participants will be able to gain important information gathered from smart applications and solutions, such as detection of health emergencies, early disease detection, professional advice on routine lifestyle, health status monitoring and help in treatment prescription.

Learning scenario

Video and interactive presentations of Smart Homes, Smart Cities and smart technologies used in them.

Evaluation

• Evaluation consists of using at least two different smart apps or two smart devices designed for improving the quality of lifestyle for the elderly;
• Group discussion.

Following this module learners will:

• Participants will be able to understand the concepts of Smart Cities, Smart Homes and smart devices and to understand the benefits of this development in general (which are beneficial for older adults, but also their families, caregivers and society in general);
• Participants will be able to use smart technologies in intelligent homes and cities;
• Participants are able to connect themselves in Smart City and/or Smart Home systems;
• Participants will be able to gain important information gathered from smart applications and solutions, such as detection of health emergencies, early disease detection, professional advice on routine lifestyle, health status monitoring and help in treatment prescription.

Structure of scenario

Introduction

A Smart city is an urban area that uses different types of electronic Internet of things (IoT) sensors to collect data and then use these data to manage assets and resources efficiently. This includes data collected from citizens, devices, and assets that is processed and analysed to monitor and manage traffic and transportation systems, power plants, water supply networks, waste management, crime detection, information systems, schools, libraries, hospitals, and other community services.

The Smart city concept integrates information and communication technology (ICT), and various physical devices connected to the IoT network to optimize the efficiency of city operations and services and connect to citizens. Smart city technology allows city officials to interact directly with both community and city infrastructure and to monitor what is happening in the city and how the city is evolving. ICT is used to enhance quality, performance and interactivity of urban services, to reduce costs and resource consumption and to increase contact between citizens and government.  Smart city applications are developed to manage urban flows and allow for real-time responses. A Smart city may therefore be more prepared to respond to challenges than one with a simple "transactional" relationship with its citizens. Yet, the term itself remains unclear to its specifics and therefore, open to many interpretations.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a system of interrelated computing devices, mechanical and digital machines, objects, animals or people that are provided with unique identifiers (UIDs) and the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction.

The definition of the Internet of things has evolved due to the convergence of multiple technologies, real-time analytics, machine learning, commodity sensors, and embedded systems. Traditional fields of embedded systems, wireless sensor networks, control systems, automation (including home and building automation), and others all contribute to enabling the Internet of Things. In the consumer market, IoT technology is most synonymous with products pertaining to the concept of the "smart home", covering devices and appliances (such as lighting fixtures, thermostats, home security systems and cameras, and other home appliances) that support one or more common ecosystems, and can be controlled via devices associated with that ecosystem, such as smartphones and smart speakers.

There are a number of serious concerns about dangers in the growth of IoT, especially in the areas of privacy and security; and consequently, industry and governmental moves to begin to address these.

A smart device is an electronic device, generally connected to other devices or networks via different wireless protocols such as Bluetooth, Zigbee, NFC, Wi-Fi, LiFi, 3G, etc., that can operate to some extent interactively and autonomously. Several notable types of smart devices are smartphones, smart cars, smart thermostats, smart doorbells, smart locks, smart refrigerators, phablets and tablets, smartwatches, smart bands, smart key chains, smart speakers and others. The term can also refer to a device that exhibits some properties of ubiquitous computing, including—although not necessarily—artificial intelligence.

Smart devices can be designed to support a variety of form factors, a range of properties pertaining to ubiquitous computing and to be used in three main system environments: physical world, human-centered environments and distributed computing environments.

Keywords

Smart city, Internet of things, Smart app, Online services, ICT, AI.

Learnign subject

For the introduction, the lecturer will introduce participants with the concepts such as Smart City, IoTs, VR / AR, AI. Participants will be able to share their previous experiences or knowledge of these concepts. A short debate at the start of the lecture is important in order to establish an inclusive learning filed for the lecture which follows.

The lecturer will explain in more detail the concepts of Smart City, IoTs, VR / AR, AI and their possible everyday use. The benefits of everyday use of smart technologies for older people will also be presented. The use of smart devices and the use of new technologies is increasingly present in people's lives. It is very important in the lecture that the concepts and the possibility of use are presented in an interesting way. A special part of the lecture will be devoted to usage of smart apps which aim to improve persons daily routine or even improve their health.

Assignment - participants will be divided into 4 groups. Each group will have to introduce (on a theoretical level) the benefits of using one of the smart technologies in their daily lives and then analyse how their lives will change in the future. They will present the results in front of everyone. The second part of the task is practical – each group will have to demonstrate the usage of at least two different smart apps or two smart devices (in accordance with the first part of the task) designed for improving the quality of lifestyle for the elderly.

Group discussion will follow afterwards – this is an opportunity for participants to get acquainted with new concepts, technologies, smart applications. This will make it easier for them to get to know smart apps and devices and maybe start using new technologies in their everyday lives.

Material required

• Personal computer (Smartphone or tablet connected to the Internet)
• Internet connection
• Beamer
• Paper and pens
• Flipchart
• Speakers

Context

• Participants will be able to understand the concepts of Smart Cities, Smart Homes and smart devices and to understand the benefits of this development in general (which are beneficial for older adults, but also their families, caregivers and society in general).
• Participants will be able to use smart technologies in intelligent homes and cities.
• Participants are able to connect themselves in Smart City and/or Smart Home systems.
• Participants will be able to gain important information gathered from smart applications and solutions, such as detection of health emergencies, early disease detection, professional advice on routine lifestyle, health status monitoring and help in treatment prescription

Session structure

The purpose of the session will be:

• to provide an introduction to the concepts of Smart Cities, Smart Homes and smart devices.
• to facilitate to use smart technologies in intelligent homes and cities.
• to discover gain important information gathered from smart applications and solutions, such as detection of health emergencies, early disease detection, professional advice on routine lifestyle, health status monitoring and help in treatment prescription.
• to motivate able to connect themselves in Smart City and/or Smart Home systems.

Introduction

For the introduction, the lecturer will introduce participants with the concepts such as Smart City, IoTs, VR / AR, AI. Participants will be able to share their previous experiences or knowledge of these concepts. A short debate at the start of the lecture is important in order to establish an inclusive learning filed for the lecture which follows.

New concepts

The lecturer will explain in more detail the concepts of Smart City, IoTs, VR / AR, AI and their introduction to everyday use. The benefits of everyday use of smart technologies for older people will be presented. The use of smart devices and the use of new technologies is increasingly present in people's lives. It is very important in the lecture that the concepts and the possibility of use be presented in an interesting way that will make the participants close and interesting. Using smart apps we can improve our daily routine or even improve our health.

Learning to use

The lecturer will explain in more detail the concepts of Smart City, IoTs, VR / AR, AI and their possible everyday use. The benefits of everyday use of smart technologies for older people will also be presented. The use of smart devices and the use of new technologies is increasingly present in people's lives. It is very important in the lecture that the concepts and the possibility of use are presented in an interesting way. A special part of the lecture will be devoted to usage of smart apps which aim to improve persons daily routine or even improve their health.

Group discussion

Group discussion will follow afterwards – this is an opportunity for participants to get acquainted with new concepts, technologies, smart applications. This will make it easier for them to get to know smart apps and devices and maybe start using new technologies in their everyday lives.

Homework

Watch video and make comments how to introduce new technologies in their lifes. What is a smart city? | CNBC Explains

Debriefing

To wrap up the session, the trainer will facilitate a debriefing moment where participants are encouraged to express their questions, doubts, ideas and feelings toward the topics discussed.

Evaluation

Participants will answer a small questionnaire to evaluate the form and the content of the session.

Overall duration of the session

1 hour and 25 min

References

• Smart City
• Smart Device
• Internet of Things
• What is a Smart City? | CNBC Explains