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Application of virtual reality technologies in rapid development and assessment of ambient assisted living environments

Abstract:

In the current society, where the group of elderly and people with disabilities is constantly growing due to the increase in life expectancy, it is becoming a must for ICT developers to provide systems that meet the needs of this community regarding accessibility and usability and enhance their quality of life consequently. Ambient Assisted Living, intended to help people live independently, with autonomy and security, is one of the most promising solutions that are coming up to address this technological challenge. This paper presents the approach proposed in the context of VAALID European funded project to make possible real rapid prototyping of accessible and usable Ambient Intelligence solutions, by integrating Virtual Reality simulation tools in the development cycle as well as appropriate user interfaces. The first functional prototype has been planned for February 2010. The project result will be evaluated during six months in two pilot sites with up to 100 users, starting on May 2010. Copyright 2009 ACM.