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Next Generation Services for Older and Disabled People

Ofcom Advisory Committee on Older and Disabled People(ACOD)

13th September 2010

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Welcome

Jo ConnellChair, ACOD

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Introduction

Ed RichardsChief Executive, Ofcom

Next Generation Services that could benefit older and disabled people

i2 media research, for ACOD13th September 2010

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Contents

• Objectives

• Scope

• Method

• Research overview

• Key findings

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Research objectives

To identify:

• new and near-future Next Generation Services that have the potential to benefit older and disabled people’s lives

• Includes existing services that could be enriched as a result of faster broadband connections

• potential benefits from such services

• risks and challenges to potential benefits being realised.

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Research scope (1)

• Next Generation Services (NGS) is used to refer to new and improved Telecommunication Services that:

– make use of the speed and capacity of Next Generation Networks

– are delivered to end users via Next Generation Access

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Research scope (2)

Products and services included:

• require high bandwidth to the user; and/or

• require high connection speeds between people; and/or

• likely to require higher speed and capacity networks when multiple services/users using the network at the same time; and/or

• extend the functionality of existing products and services

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Research method

• Desk research: took place November 2009 to March 2010

• 15 interviews with experts in relevant fields in January-March 2010.

Overview

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Potential benefits

Potential benefits are manifold, e.g.:

• Improved access to products and services

• Improved usability of products and services

• Potential for more affordable services

• Increased participation

• Improved wellbeing

• Richer entertainment

Key findings

• Setting the scene

- Health and wellbeing

- Work and education

- Leisure

- Other day-to-day services

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UK social and demographic trends

• Ageing population

• More people with access requirements and increased participation

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UK social and demographic trends

“…we know that in the UK and in Europe, we have an ageing population and will need to look at the potential and capability of technology. And whether that’s smart robots, or smart monitoring, it will have to be thought about more seriously.”

Stephen Dodson, DC10plus Network

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Relevant technology trends

• Cloud computing

• Software as a service

• Personalised interfaces

• Ubiquitous mobile

• Multi-modal high presence display systems

Health and wellbeing

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Health and wellbeing - trends

• The research identified nascent trends that could benefit from superfast broadband:

– Remote interaction;

– TV as communication interface;

– Activity, health and wellbeing monitoring.

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Health and wellbeing: potential benefits

• Prolonged independent living;

• Increased physical and psychological health and wellbeing;

• Improved motivation and self-management of health;

• Increased sense of wellbeing and security;

• More efficient, cost-effective, and targeted delivery of services;

• More accessible communication systems.

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Example – Vital sign monitoring

Whole System Demonstrator

• Around 6,000 users in Cornwall, Kent and Newham

• Uses two-way communication for effective feedback between health and social care monitoring centres and users

• Provides reassurance that professionals are aware of their physical state and available when necessary.

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Example - Improved physical health

“… through access to health trend information, people can improve their own health expectations.”

Steve Sadler, Tunstall Group

Work and employment

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Work and employment - developments

• Enabling older and disabled people to participate more easily in work and education, e.g. – Support greater remote presence– Enable access to shared information resources

• Reduced social isolation, e.g. – Increased access to working and learning– New tools/services to enable users to work collaboratively on documents.

• Improved access for study and work, e.g.: – Easier searching for information via more intuitive online searches

• Increased distribution of digital forms of communication, e.g.– Making material more accessible to people with specific access needs

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Work and employment: potential benefits

• Greater financial independence;

• More independent living;

• Improved psychological wellbeing;

• Improved sense of self-worth;

• Potential to support older and disabled people to contribute more to society and for longer

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Example: Teleworking

“Where the bandwidth becomes important for us is being able to do your job fromhome, to have less of a distinction between home and the work place.

This will benefit people who maybe aren’t able to use offices in a traditional sense,or to carry on working longer.”

Simon Mycock, BT

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Example – Increased participation

Vital Assistance for Elderly project

• Developing a tele-education platform

• To be delivered via TV set

• To provide multimedia courses designed for older people, e.g. cooking, household activities

• To offer education for self-caring, self-learning and entertainment.

Leisure

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Leisure: potential trends

• More engaging entertainment– E.g. services that support higher fidelity audio-visual presentation or are more tailored

to the user’s interests

• More life-like remote social interaction: – E.g. services could include information that makes explicit information about oneself

and others

• Better and easier access to leisure services:– E.g. via increased personalisation

• Lower cost access to leisure services

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Leisure: potential benefits

• Improved quality of entertainment

• Reduced social isolation resulting in improved psychological wellbeing

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Example – More engaging content

“We have also been thinking and experimenting in genres such as drama and entertainment, with some unique things that you can do – for example, creating interactive experiences.

We continue to experiment with this sort of innovation.”

James Micklethwait, BBC

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Example: More life like social interaction

• In virtual communities individuals could create new, high quality identities through which their physical appearance can be personalised into a new ‘identity’

• This could facilitate more accessible forms of communication, with particular potential benefit to people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

– For instance, automated sign interpretation via avatars (though issues of acceptability)

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Example – Reduced social isolation

“I think the biggest benefit [of NGS] is allowing people who aren’t as able to do things outside of the home to feel connected, so you feel part of a wider world environment andcommunication is one of the biggest elements of this.”

Simon Mycock, BT

“We research how you can use technology to reduce loneliness and help people meet other people. As you get older... how do you make meaningful relationships with new people with common interests, and how can technology help that? I would call that social networking, staying well, and staying engaged; society valuing older people and their contribution.”

Niamh Scannell (Intel)

Other day to day services

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Other day to day services – potential trends

• Context sensitive services:– E.g. services that make use of awareness of where a user is located to

present relevant information

• More accessible products and services– E.g. more accessible, personalised interfaces

• Lower cost products and services

• Services supporting an easier life– E.g. more automated services, including reminders for everyday tasks– E.g. more engaging and realistic virtual worlds are being developed

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Other day to day services – potential benefits

• Improved sense of safety and security;

• Increased efficiency and simplicity;

• More opportunities for participation in public life;

• Lower cost products and services;

• More accessible products and services; and

• Improved communications with others (including social groups, and commercial and care services), through media;

• More active involvement in day-to-day life.

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Example: Services supporting an easier life

“…we’re developing technology that is used in the house, for example, to let people navigate and then they go outdoors and it should still work.

So we are going from the home network and the internet towards a mobile environment and to do this in a smooth way that everything works together without people getting confused.

And we have to take into account that this could concern people, for example, that are having navigation difficulties - perhaps some memory problems, early dementia - then it does not always work perfectly together, so we have to rethink that.”

Dr. Paul Timmers, European Commission

Risks and challenges

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Risks

Key risks and challenges identified include:

• Accessibility

• Logistics, e.g. seamless technical integration

• Impact, e.g. potential for increased isolation or dependence

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Issues in addressing challenges

The following issues were highlighted:

• Infrastructure: ensuring adequate, reliable network infrastructure and connectivity;

• Usability and accessibility: international co-ordination to support development of accessible products

• Cost: ensuring people are not excluded due to affordability

• Implementation: more coordinated interaction between stakeholders to minimise the logistical risks

Conclusions

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Conclusions

• Next Generation Services promise the potential of numerous benefits to older or disabled people.

• If the challenges to their implementation are addressed appropriately, the opportunities for increased and easier access to services could:

– promote more independent living and participation; and

– help older and disabled people to lead healthier and more fulfilling lives.

Examples of Next Generation Services (NGS) that could benefit older and disabled people

selected from full i2 media research report byACOD, September 2010

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Example areas

• Health and Wellbeing

• Work and Education

• Leisure

• Other day-to-day activities

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Example areas

• Health and Wellbeing

• Work and Education

• Leisure

• Other day-to-day activities

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• Cogknow offers people with mild dementia support in navigating their day-to-day activities

• Offers a portable device that monitors people’s home environment using detectors / sensors

• Provides added security and reassurance for users

• Has been developed

Example - Health and Wellbeing

The device detects that the door is now locked

The user then locks the door.

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In the example below, the Cogknow device informs the user that their front door is unlocked

Example - Health and Wellbeing

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• Assisting the Elderly and disabled Generation using a behaviour modelling Intelligent System (AEGIS)

• Aims to assist people to live independently in the home

• Uses environmental monitoring in a non-invasive way

Here are some of the ways AEGIS sensors could operate

as part of a security and energy monitoring system

Example - Health and Wellbeing

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Example areas

• Health and Well Being

• Work and Education

• Leisure

• Other day-to-day activities

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Some of the many NGS benefits within the world of work …

• Enhanced virtual team working, e.g. by video conferencing

• Better access to work with greater remote working facilities

• Teleworking within rural areas

Work

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Education

... and some within education:

• Increasing access to broadband among all groups

• Remote access to education - at all levels

• Improved home schooling

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Example areas

• Health and Well Being

• Work and Education

• Leisure

• Other day-to-day activities

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• Existing services could exploit capabilities of NGN making them easier to access for all, e.g. providing high quality, real time voice, video and text

For example:

• TV and Radio provided via internet offers flexibility and choice enhancing quality of entertainment

• Social networking allows social circles to be widened from own home

Leisure examples

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Example areas

• Health and Well Being

• Work and Education

• Leisure

• Other day-to-day activities

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• Location aware services offering relevant information, e.g. directions or identify risks

• Developments in VOIP - addition of video with audio

• Automated services providing reminders about daily tasks

Examples – Other Day-to-day activities

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Example – Other Day-to-day activities

A gesture pendent prototype allows devices to be controlled by the wave of a hand

Pendant contains a wireless camera

User makes gestures in front of it and can then control devices

Can be used to control lighting, kitchen sink, etc

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Video Example – NGS benefits

• OASIS project (Open architecture for Accessible Services Integration and Standardisation )

• Aim to create services supporting physical and psychological independence, social engagement and emotional wellbeing

• In development now. Plans to start pilot early 2011

• Animated video example follows John and Sue using OASIS in their day-to-day lives:

http://www.oasis-project.eu/

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Thank you

For more info and the full report please visit http://www.ofcom.org.uk/

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/about/how-ofcom-is-run/committees/older-and-disabled-people/research/

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Panel Discussion

Chair: Laura Muir, ACOD & Robert Gordon University

Panel: Stephen Dodson, DC10 plus Simon Roberts, Intel & Race Online 2012 Jonathan Freeman, i2 Media & Goldsmiths

University Maurice Mulvenna, ACOD & University of Ulster

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Final Thoughts

Jo ConnellChair, ACOD

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Networking and Drinks

For more information on ACOD please visit:

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/about/how-ofcom-is-run/committees/older-and-disabled-people/

Thanks for coming!