Socio-digital experiences

The experiences emerging from interacting with digital technology need to be understood, designed and engineered. This is quintessential for ensuring that related systems and services have a purpose and value for their users, helping them achieve their aspirations and desires. Rooted in this human-experience centered perspective, we explore ambient intelligence technologies, where computation and communication are embedded in our physical and social environment, adapting to users and their context. The overarching motivation is to create novel socio-digital experiences that address societal needs, like staying connected with dear ones, children’s outdoor play, achieving desirable behavior change, supporting independent living, and rehabilitation. Looking to the future, two grand challenges concern us. First is to design technologies that people can shape to meet idiosyncratic and dynamically emerging requirements, known as meta-design. Second is endowing ambient intelligence technologies with aspects of social intelligence

Technology to reduce social isolation and loneliness

Large numbers of individuals, many of them senior citizens, live in social isolation. This typically leads to loneliness, depression, and vulnerability, and subsequently to other negative health consequences. We report on research focused on understanding the communication needs of people in environments associated with social isolation and loneliness, and how technology facilitates social connection. Our work consists of successive iterations of field studies and technology prototype design, deployment, and analysis. Particular attention is paid to seniors in retirement communities and in long-term care settings (nursing homes). We present design implications for technology to enable seniors' social connections, the "InTouch" prototype that satisfies most of the implications, and a report on one older adult's experience of InTouch

Виявлення аномалій у MicroGrid методами машинного навчання

В магістерській дисертації розглядається задача застосування Anomaly Detection як один із засобів Machine Learning для визначення нетипових моделей поведінки людини (аномальної поведінки) у MicroGrid. Наукова новизна отриманих результатів полягає у отриманні подальшого розвитку теорії застосування методів машинного навчання для обробки та аналізу великих даних (Big Data) в частині виявлення аномалій поведінки людини у MicroGrid. Вперше запропоновано розв’язання задачі пошуку аномалій різних поведінкових моделей на базі застосування методу опорних векторів (SVM). За допомогою розробленого програмного забезпечення користувач може переглядати інтервали часу обраного дня та аналізувати випадки фіксування аномалій.In the master's thesis the problem of using Anomaly Detection as one of the means of Machine Learning for the determination of non-typical behavior patterns (abnormal behavior) in MicroGrid is considered. The scientific novelty of the results is further development of machine learning methods for the processing and analysis of Big Data in terms of identifying human behavior anormalies in MicroGrid. For the first time the solution of the problem of finding anomalies of different behavioral models based on the application of the method of support vector machine (SVM) is proposed. With the help of the software developed, the user can view the time intervals of the selected day and analyze the cases of fixing anomalies.В магистерской диссертации рассматривается задача применения Anomaly Detection как одного из средств Machine Learning для определения нетипичных моделей поведения человека (аномального поведения) в MicroGrid. Научная новизна полученных результатов заключается в дальнейшем развитии теории применения методов машинного обучения для обработки и анализа больших данных (Big Data) в части выявления аномалий поведения человека в MicroGrid. Впервые предложено решение задачи поиска аномалий различных поведенческих моделей на базе применения метода опорных векторов (SVM). С помощью разработанного программного обеспечения пользователь может просматривать интервалы времени избранного дня и анализировать случаи фиксирования аномалий

Enhanced Living Environments

This open access book was prepared as a Final Publication of the COST Action IC1303 “Algorithms, Architectures and Platforms for Enhanced Living Environments (AAPELE)”. The concept of Enhanced Living Environments (ELE) refers to the area of Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) that is more related with Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Effective ELE solutions require appropriate ICT algorithms, architectures, platforms, and systems, having in view the advance of science and technology in this area and the development of new and innovative solutions that can provide improvements in the quality of life for people in their homes and can reduce the financial burden on the budgets of the healthcare providers. The aim of this book is to become a state-of-the-art reference, discussing progress made, as well as prompting future directions on theories, practices, standards, and strategies related to the ELE area. The book contains 12 chapters and can serve as a valuable reference for undergraduate students, post-graduate students, educators, faculty members, researchers, engineers, medical doctors, healthcare organizations, insurance companies, and research strategists working in this area

Understanding informal caregivers' use of assistive technologies in Mexico during their dementia caregiver experience

Dementia is a long-term progressive condition with no cure that is considered to be a major public health priority worldwide. Currently, 60% of people with dementia (PwD) reside in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and by 2040 the number will increase to 71%. Families from these countries are being overwhelmed by the increased numbers of cases as the depleted health infrastructures and lack of governmental support mean that families have to rely on informal caregivers (ICs) to provide essential support and care. By 2050, Latin American countries, such as Mexico and Brazil, will experience an increase of >400% in the number of dementia cases. The World Health Organization (WHO) stated in 2017 as part of their “Global action plan on public health response to dementia” that culture- and community-specific approaches need to be developed and implemented in LMICs. They argued that this need emerged from the results of various studies on LMICs that showed how each country interpreted dementia differently. Cultural interpretations have been shown to influence the dementia caregiving experience directly. However, only few studies have been conducted about ICs of PWDs from LMICs. Hence, the need to understand the complexities of the dementia caregiver’s experiences within LMICs. In-home technologies, such as Assistive Technologies (ATs), have been shown to be effective in dementia care to improve the quality of life of the PwD and alleviate the IC’s caregiver burden. However, only a few studies have evaluated the usefulness of ATs in LMICs and no research has been conducted on the experiences of ICs with ATs in LMICs. This thesis explores the lived experiences of ICs of PwD in Mexico, a country in which ATs are used as part of their caregiving role. The study adopted a phenomenological approach, the aim of which was to understand the role and impact of ATs in the caregiving role and caregiving experience. Nine ICs of PwD in Mexico participated in in-depth semi-structured interviews. The data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) in two parts: an idiographic analysis of the first-person accounts of each participant and a cross-case analysis that examined the convergences and divergences of their experiences across the group. The findings from the study revealed that, to a certain extent, all of the participants went through five stages during their lived experiences as caregivers. The ICs subconsciously divided the lengthy path of their caregiving experiences into two phases: pre-AT usage and AT usage. The stages were established as: 1) emotional triggers; 2) avoidance; 3) personal values assessment; 4) self-forgiveness; and 5) acceptance (i.e., of the disease). During the pre-AT usage phase (stages 1-4), participants attributed a combination of different negative feelings and double caring responsibilities as the factors that motivated them to acquire an AT and care for their own well-being, as well as that of the PwD. It was revealed during the second stage, the AT usage phase (stages 4-5), that the ICs’ interactions with ATs were complex. On the one hand, the participants concentrated on testing, accepting and appropriating the AT to fit their own needs. On the other hand, it was revealed that ATs mediated the experience and, as a consequence, influenced the ICs’ roles and caregiver experiences. This thesis provides a new, and in-depth, understanding of some of the complexities that derive from the dementia caregiver’s experience in Mexico, an LMIC. It also provides an insight into the human-technology relationship that develops from daily interactions with the AT and how it influences the essence of the caregiver experience. Recommendations are made for designers and developers of ATs for use in the care of PwD based on the findings from this study

Über ein Gesetz der indogermanischen Wortstellung

Jacob Wackernagel’s 1892 essay on second-position enclitics in the Indo-European languages has long been hailed as groundbreaking in both historical and theoretical linguistics. Until now, however, it has only been available in the original German. This book provides a full translation into English, including glossed and translated examples from several early Indo-European languages and varieties and full bibliographical details of the references drawn upon, as well as a new edition of the German original. It should be of interest to researchers in historical and Indo-European linguistics and in general linguistics working on the interfaces between morphology, prosody and syntax

Supporting peace of mind and independent living with the Aurama awareness system

An awareness system was designed to provide peace of mind and a sense of connectedness to adults who care for an elderly parent living alone. The iterative design of the Aurama awareness system showed and our empirical research, including field trials ranging from four to six months, confirm the potential of awareness systems to support both generations suggesting that research should examine, firstly, how to convey long-term trends regarding the wellbeing of the elderly and, secondly, how to intertwine the communication of awareness information with expressive forms of communication. We further explore the role that formal care providers can play when caring for the elderly using the awareness system. We discuss implications of our studies for the design of ambient intelligent systems supporting awareness between elderly, their adult children and care providers, and derive several lessons learned in conducting long-term field trials. Keywords: Ambient intelligence, awareness, connectedness, assisted living, field trials, elderly car

On a law of Indo-European word order

Jacob Wackernagel’s 1892 essay on second-position enclitics in the Indo-European languages has long been hailed as groundbreaking in both historical and theoretical linguistics. Until now, however, it has only been available in the original German. This book provides a full translation into English, including glossed and translated examples from several early Indo-European languages and varieties and full bibliographical details of the references drawn upon, as well as a new edition of the German original. It should be of interest to researchers in historical and Indo-European linguistics and in general linguistics working on the interfaces between morphology, prosody and syntax