Intelligent Technologies for Wellness and Independent Living Lab
295 Phillip Street
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
N2L 3W8
Contact Jennifer Boger, Director, Intelligent Technologies for Wellness and Independent Living (ITWIL) Lab
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Title | Interdisciplinary development of manual and automated product usability assessments for older adults with dementia: lessons learned |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2015 |
Authors | Boger, J., B. Taati, and A. Mihailidis |
Journal | Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology |
Volume | 11 |
Start Page | 581 |
Issue | 7 |
Date Published | 07/2015 |
Keywords | action identification, automated video analysis, collaobration, dementia, health informatics, interdisciplinary, non-invasive sensing and monitoring, product usability |
Abstract | The changes in cognitive abilities that accompany dementia can make it difficult to use everyday products that are required to complete activities of daily living. Products that are inherently more usable for people with dementia could facilitate independent activity completion, thus reducing the need for caregiver assistance. The objectives of this research were to: (1) gain an understanding of how water tap design impacted tap usability and (2) create an automated computerized tool that could assess tap usability. 27 older adults, who ranged from cognitively intact to advanced dementia, completed 1309 trials on five tap designs. Data were manually analyzed to investigate tap usability as well as used to develop an automated usability analysis tool. Researchers collaborated to modify existing techniques and to create novel ones to accomplish both goals. This paper presents lessons learned through the course of this research, which could be applicable in the development of other usability studies, automated vision-based assessments and the development of assistive technologies for cognitively impaired older adults. Collaborative interdisciplinary teamwork, which included older adult with dementia participants, was key to enabling innovative advances that achieved the projects' research goals.
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URL | http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/17483107.2015.1063714 |
DOI | 10.3109/17483107.2015.1063714 |
Intelligent Technologies for Wellness and Independent Living Lab
295 Phillip Street
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
N2L 3W8
Contact Jennifer Boger, Director, Intelligent Technologies for Wellness and Independent Living (ITWIL) Lab
The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land promised to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is centralized within our Indigenous Initiatives Office.