Looking for new ways to use technology
Modern technology cannot be a replacement for real human interaction. Nevertheless, we tried to find more implicit ways to communicate to our loved ones using technology in some of our healthcare projects. What if we could use technology in a different way, avoiding the more explicit ways that screens of telephones offer?
First try: Scottie. We researched the possibilities of using information and communication technology to create virtual intimacy between long-stay absentees and their primary social contact group. It looked promising, using smart materials, wireless communication technology, wearables and sensor technology. But in the end, it did not make it into a product, despite additional research.
Just recently, we tried again, and more successfully, with our BodyGuard project to aid autistic children using their heart rhythm and with Whiskers, that enables communication through movement. Maybe it will happen.