Conceptual / MethodologicalKelly Nichols

Target adults for primary user group.

“Everyday”

vs

Specifically rehabilitative and medical context

Activities of daily living(ADLs)

Instrumental activities of daily living(IADLs)

Cognitive Prostheses

Strategies that assist user with memory, attention,

concentration, and executive functionality.

How can digital interfaces be best

designed for people with cognitive impairments?

Who does this affect?

• Developmentally Disabled

• 800,000 children and adults in the United States are living with one or more of the symptoms of cerebral palsy.

• Cognitive impairment is present in two thirds of patients with cerebral palsy.

• Elderly

• The number of people age 65 and older is expected to grow from 39 million in 2008 to 72 million in 2030, and the number of people with AD doubles for every 5-year interval beyond age 65.

• Those with Traumatic Brain Injuries

• Veterans, Automobile Crash Survivors, etc

1. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, www.ninds.nih.gov

2. American Family Physician, January 2006, www.aafp.org

3. National Institute on Aging, www.nia.nih.gov

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Precedents

COACH“Cognitive Orthosis for Assisting aCtivities in the Home”

Prompting device for guiding user through hand washing. Uses video tracking of the hands to determine which steps of the task have been completed. Provides audio

prompts to keep the user on track.

Precedent

Ambient KitchenA lab-based replication of a real kitchen where careful design has hidden the additional technology, and allows both the evaluation of pervasive computing prototypes

and the simultaneous capture of the multiple synchronized streams of sensor data.

Precedent

COGKNOWA suite of touch screen personal computer stations and

PDAs that provide support for: Time Indication, Remotely configurable reminders, Music, Radio, Picture Dialing, Activity Assistance, House Alerts for safety, &

Mobile Navigation for going home.

Precedent

Previous Work

Sensory Agnosia Monitor

Previous Work

Main Screen - Monitoring On Main Screen - SingingMain Screen - Monitoring Off

Software Interface

Institutional Memory Retention

Previous Work

Prototype

Extending digital scheduling solutions

Prototype

Current digital calendar/scheduling/

task management systems are good at

organization, not great at reminding.

• Cognition, memory, and impairment

• Screen-based software accessibility

• Evaluative methods in precedents

Further Research

Prototyping

• Research prototypes that look into how screens, objects, and memory interact.

• User Scenarios aimed at solving specific problems (e.g. - washing hands, preparing food, taking medication).

Thanks