Non-AI – Page 2 – CommuniCity

WeSolve, Inclusion of the Elderly

WeSolve, Inclusion of the Elderly

Challenge: How to decrease the loneliness of the elderly?
WeSolve, Inclusion of the Elderly

The golden years of life should be embraced as an opportunity to fully engage with one’s community and city. This can be accomplished through a variety of enriching experiences, such as connecting with individuals from different age groups, sharing personal stories and knowledge, learning new skills, and gaining fresh perspectives on the world. Through the platform built by WeSolve ApS, elderly people can participate in a wide range of activities by creating a sense of belonging and providing dedicated activities and resources for senior citizens, the platform aims to alleviate feelings of isolation and promote social connectivity within the community and a brighter future for everyone involved with a particular attention to elderly individuals needs. WeSolve can be used as a powerful tool by municipalities to enhance the level of elderly engagement in order to create a more connected, and more engaged community. By empowering elderly people through community-based initiatives and promoting social cohesion, WeSolve platform results as the means through which municipalities can reduce the likelihood of social isolation and create a brighter future for elderly individuals. We Solve provides tools for elderly people to come together, connect with one another, and participate in activities that are meaningful and impactful.

Through the participation of various activities, it is possible to enhance the inclusion by removing barriers such as language and socio-economic status. By removing such barriers, WeSolve is able to enhance inclusion and create a sense of belonging for all participants. This sense of community is essential for the well-being of elderly people, as it provides them with the support and encouragement they need.

PortoPilot – Digital technologies to decrease loneliness

Challenge: How to decrease the loneliness of the elderly?
PortoPilot – Digital technologies to decrease loneliness

Technology plays a crucial role in society. Not being part of the “connected society” promotes inequality and social exclusion. Portugal is rapidly ageing: in 2021 more than 2,4 million people, 23,4% of the Portuguese population was 65 years old or older. Unfortunately, senior citizens are among the most info-excluded groups, in 2020 only 39% of the population between the ages of 65-74 used the internet. Many reasons can explain such a fact, including low literacy levels, ageism, no contact with technology during their professional careers, lack of interest, motivation, or perceived usefulness. Ensuring that seniors can benefit from technology includes involving them in its creation, informing them about its use and guaranteeing that they feel safe and at ease while using it. At Fraunhofer AICOS we have been developing technology for seniors and with seniors for several years, employing a human-centred approach that includes final users throughout the several development phases of a product. Fraunhofer Portugal AICOS is experienced in understanding user contexts, co-designing inclusive and meaningful technologies and investigating its final impact in real environments. We propose to use our expertise to reduce loneliness among seniors by understanding how and which technologies can help elderly citizens feel more integrated in society and ease any feelings of isolation. Based on the literature and our prior experience, we know there is no one-size-fits-all solution to tackle loneliness in older age. Therefore, we propose to discover the most suitable technologies together with the beneficiaries of the technology. To do so, we will conduct focus groups with seniors from day care centres so that together we can identify unmet needs and challenges that can be tackled with the use of digital technologies.

FEUP: Tele Visit – The family goes home

Challenge: How to decrease the loneliness of the elderly?
Tele Visit – The family goes home

In the City of Porto there are a large number of elderly people who live alone in social neighbourhoods. They often face health and well-being challenges, namely the under provision of critical goods and services, such as health care, food, medicines, due to the lack of mobility and autonomy. Furthermore, many of them are economically vulnerable and digitally illiterate. The present project from the Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto (FEUP) aims to support the elderly in the Municipal public housing Area of Urban Rehabilitation (ARU) of Corujeira, in the parish of Campanha and their families, namely those with less resources, allowing the communication between them in safety and thus contributing as a prophylactic effect at three levels: 1) avoid a possible catastrophic event, especially among the most vulnerable people; 2) improve the mental health of the elderly; 3) support the interface with their family members.

Mental health needs to be valued, due to the context of loneliness, anxiety and depression that add to the difficulties in understanding the situation. The lack of mental health is associated with morbidity, reduced cognitive reserve and disability in older people. The negative impact of physical illness and depression increases disability and is associated with increased mortality. According to the WHO, Telemedicine is based on the use of information and communication technologies, allowing increased access to health care. The use of telemedicine can be seen in several areas, being applied in the USA by more than 60% of health organization and it is present in the area of mental health in 49 states. After obtaining an opinion from the Ethics Committee, the concept of telemedicine will be applied to facilitate tele visits by families to their elderly relatives, adopting technologies similar to those used for health care. FEUP – Engenharia Voluntária will provide technological support in terms of installation and training, with operationalization being carried out essentially through the voluntary intervention of the FEUP community. 10 seniors living alone in the Area of Urban Rehabilitation (ARU) of Corujeira will be involved. For each home, a survey of needs will be carried out, with the technology selected according to the needs identified.

Stereoscape Oy – An interactive video-based platform

Challenge: Helsinki: How to reliably measure the digital skills of long-term unemployed citizens?

Stereoscape Oy – An interactive video-based platform for understanding and improving the digital skills of unemployed people

The Digital Skills Mapping survey aims to assist unemployed individuals in assessing their digital competence, guiding them to appropriate digital courses that support their development. The web-based tool uses a branched scenario approach that adapts based on the user’s responses, revealing their level of digital proficiency. This data-driven solution provides valuable insights into users’ skills on a broader scale.

The pilot was a collaboration between the pilot team – Stereoscape – and the three pilot hosts – Eesti Töötukassa, the City of Helsinki’s Rehabilitation Work Activities Unit, and Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional from Porto, Portugal. The needs of the staff members and clients (marginalised groups) were quite similar in all three cities. The Helsinki survey laid the basis for the localised surveys. It was designed through both in-person and remote workshops using a suitable collaboration platform for distance work. Localisation work in Porto and Tallinn was done remotely by the pilot hosts, together with Stereoscape.

The collaborative process involved building the survey structure, including crafting questions, answers, and branches, and integrating the solution into a digital learning platform. Thorough user testing sessions helped refine the functionality and applicability of the tool, offering essential feedback that has laid the groundwork for a unique and adaptable solution. This approach ensures the tool can continue to evolve based on future feedback.

Suomen Digitaalinen Tehdas Oy – Pressure ulcer prevention

Suomen Digitaalinen Tehdas Oy – Pressure ulcer prevention

Challenge: How to prevent pressure ulcers in wheelchair patients?

Suomen Digitaalinen Tehdas Oy – Pressure ulcer prevention for wheelchair patients

An estimated 55,000-80,000 patients per year have a pressure ulcer in Finland. Almost nearly 2-3% of total healthcare spending is used on prevention, diagnosis and treatment of pressure ulcers although pressure ulcers are avoidable.

Suomen Digitaalinen Tehdas Oy and Touchlab Limited aim to reduce the pressure ulcer formation with their innovation. In Helsinki, they pilot a pressure ulcer mat, which can be integrated into wheelchair seat pillows using a sensor solution.

The solution helps the healthcare professionals, organisations and units with their daily routines. With an app, clinicians can set custom pressure thresholds, unique to each patient. When a pressure threshold is met and held for a period of time an alert will be sent to the clinician, allowing for redistribution to occur, and preventing a pressure ulcer.

Riesa Consultative Oy – Crowdsourced accessibility survey

Riesa Consultative Oy – Crowdsourced accessibility survey

hallenge: Helsinki: How to generate pedestrian route information with participative data collection?

Riesa Consultative Oy – Crowdsourced accessibility survey for two districts in the City of Helsinki

Riesa Consultative Oy, in collaboration with Crowdsorsa, conducted a pilot in Helsinki and Tallinn to test a new method for collecting accurate, up-to-date accessibility data for individuals with accessibility needs. The pilot aimed to collect information specifically on the accessibility of pedestrian crossings and the condition of routes.

The Crowdsorsa mobile game encouraged users to move around the city in various predefined areas and take photos along the way in exchange for a small monetary compensation. The photos provided information on how the routes work from the perspective of visually impaired and wheelchair users. Riesa Consultative Oy analysed the photographic material.

The pilots conducted in Helsinki and Tallinn demonstrated that the game works well as a method for data collection. Additionally, the pilots proved that there is a need for more up-to-date information on routes and accessibility. In Tallinn, the game has since been used to map the accessibility of public transport stops

Superflash Technology Oy – Sampo

Challenge: How to enhance the quality of life for citizens with severe disabilities through digital innovations?

Superflash Technology Oy – Sampo – The ultimate smart autonomous wheelchair solution

A new wheelchair system called The Sampo addresses limitations of traditional joystick controls. To simplify the operation of electric wheelchairs and bolster their safety, Superflash Technology Oy’s system is enhancing controls with machine learning. The solution encompasses two core components. First, eye-tracking integrated for navigation offers a more innovative and intuitive Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) experience than traditional joysticks. Second, SLAM technology for environmental perception identifies potential movement risks to ensure heightened safety.

The wheelchair control system integrates with traditional joystick-operated electric wheelchairs. It is drawing from mature technologies in the gaming and car industries, placing a particular emphasis on addressing the unique needs of individuals with disabilities and ensuring their safety.

Stereoscape’s web-based interactive DigiGuide

Challenge: How to encourage non-Finnish speakers to integrate into society?
Stereoscape’s web-based interactive DigiGuide

Web-based interactive digital guide (DigiGuide) from Stereoscape Oy is a service for clients of Employment support and social rehabilitation of the City of Helsinki to access and understand essential societal services. The browser-based guide is easily accessible online through URL links on mobile phones, tablets and PCs. The main view of the DigiGuide features a bird’s-eye view of a city. Different services are highlighted with touch/click interactive hotspots each representing a service or other important topics. By clicking the hotspots, the users find more information about the topic through visuals and other multimedia content that make the information easy to understand. The information structure is also multilayered – through the landing screen, users can freely dive deeper into topics of their choice.

Digital skills for unemployed non-Finnish speakers

Challenge: How to integrate long-term unemployed citizens into working life?
Digital skills for unemployed non-Finnish speakers

In order to bridge the gap between high unemployment and high labor shortage, digital skills and vocational training to empower non-Finnish speakers are needed. These skills refer to the ability to access, evaluate, and create digital services and tools to manage life and work. During the pilot, the Aiedus provides digital skills training to improve non-Finnish speakers digital skills related to work capabilities. In other words, the goal is to equip unemployed with improved digital skills, in order to make them more competitive and employable in the job markets. The first objective of the pilot is to improve the digital skills of unemployed to use digital services and tools in life. The second objective is to improve digital skills for working, and thirdly, to improve lifelong learning capabilities to continuously develop digital skills. The fourth objective is to improve the employability and finally, to improve the overall quality of life.

Inclusiverse

Challenge: How the disabled can improve their skills by using virtual technologies?
InclusiVerse

InclusiVerse is a VR-based application from CTRL Reality for Meta Quest headsets that aims to enhance the social and digital skills of adults and young adults with developmental disabilities. The application provides a safe and motivating virtual environment that allows users to engage in social interactions, develop digital skills, and practise daily routines and new situations. The application includes both real time collaboration and pre-recorded situations, as well as engaging environments that have been specifically designed to facilitate communication and socialisation among disabled individuals. The application is based on in-house XR content development platform that is easy to use and allows for the creation of customisable environments to suit the specific needs of each target group. The ultimate goal is to prevent marginalisation and promote the inclusion of disabled individuals in society, with expected impacts including improved social and digital skills, increased confidence, and a greater sense of community and belonging.