Swinburne's Living Lab awarded membership
In Summary
- Future Self and Design Living Lab awarded membership into European Network of Living Labs
- It is the first Australian Living Lab with a focus on Ageing, Health and Design
Swinburne’s Future Self and Design Living Lab is now a member of the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL), having successfully met the standard for Living Labs.
It is the first Australian Living Lab with a focus on ageing, health and design, and the third Australian Living Lab to be awarded membership.
Dr Sonja Pedell, Director of the Future Self and Design Living Lab, says it supports Swinburne’s Innovation Strategy through a focus on using technology to support social engagement.
“This recognition from ENoLL provides the Living Lab and its partners with many exciting opportunities for global collaboration, as well as greater impact worldwide,” Dr Pedell says
The Lab was launched in February and has already attracted several new projects. Current projects include:
Humanoid Robots and Older People with Dementia
This research investigates the integration of humanoid robots into activity group settings of older adults living with dementia. A mixed method approach, consisting of interviews, observations and video analysis was applied to evaluate the level of engagement during different forms of physical exercises and interaction.
A resident at Twin Parks Aged Care interacts with a Nao robot.
Photo sharing with older adults to communicate wellbeing
The Living Lab developed and examined the use of a novel social technology, ‘TouchFrame’, to help improve and manage reassurance, the emotional aspects of caregiving and overall wellbeing of older adults living at home. Keep up to date with the Lab’s progress and activities at website (cdiengage.com/living-lab)
Foundation partners of Swinburne’s Living Lab include:
- Boroondara Council
- Inner East Community Health
- Council of the Ageing (COTA)
- Leef
- LanewayLabs
- SeniorPreneurs
- Semantrix
- Twin Parks Aged Care.
An elderly peson uses Virtual Reality technology.
The official welcoming into the network takes place as part of the Living Labs 10th anniversary celebration ceremony, organised by ENoLL.
The Living Lab is hosted by Swinburne’s Centre for Design Innovation, within the Faculty of Health, Arts and Design. Swinburne was also instrumental in formation of the Australian Living Labs Innovation Network (ALLIN).