Social Innovation for Active Ageing (SIFAA)

Age-related loneliness is a major social issue as it is increasing alongside an upward global population trend which predicts that nearly 22% of the world population will be aged 60 years or over by 2050 (Rutherford, 2012). This ‘silver tsunami’ (Cacioppo and Patrick, 2008) represents an unprecedented growth of the elderly population and is likely to exert socio-economic pressure globally in the form of healthcare needs etc. (Dychtwald and Flower, 1989, O'Connor, 2014). Recent surveys conducted in many parts of the world such as the USA, the UK and Japan etc. reveal this plight of the elderly as many older people report feeling lonely ‘often’ (Hawkley and Cacioppo, 2007, Marsh, 2014, Kim et al., 2009). The examination of current methods and techniques aimed at combating age-related loneliness in order to recognise any ‘patterns’ (Alexander et al., 1977) reveals that the current thinking around developing such interventions predominantly adopts an incremental approach (Sharma et al., 2015). Sharma et al. highlight a gap in knowledge exemplified by the lack of radical-digital interventions, and suggest that more experimentation is required in this area to under- stand the strengths, or more to the point the limitations of radical-digital interventions (2015). In this poster, we recognise that the Activity Theory of Ageing (ATA) (Havighurst, 1961) provides a good foundation for developing effective strategies for tackling loneliness amongst older adults and we highlight its potential and restraints in this area. We propose that its fixation on the individual as the ‘unit of analysis’ (McClelland, 1982) can be eased by combining it with Social Innovation. We examine both these theoretical frameworks to discuss how a hybridisation of ATA and Social Innovation can allow for a significant movement away from the dominant incremental approach developing loneliness-interventions. We call this hybrid approach Social Innovation for Active Ageing (SIFAA)

TESTING OF RECURSIVE AND NON-RECURSIVE ALGORITHMS FOR REAL-TIME PHASOR AND FREQUENCY ESTIMATIONS IN POWER SYSTEMS

Steady-state performance of various recursive and non-recursive algorithms are tested in this report according to the test signals given in the IEEE Standard C37.118.1-2011. Phase magnitude and phase angle of the power grid signals have been estimated using Discrete Fourier Transform (non-recursive), Discrete Fourier Transform (recursive), Least Square, and Wavelet Transform Algorithms. Frequency estimation is performed using Discrete Fourier Transform, Weighted Least Square, and Zero Crossing methods. These algorithms are evaluated in LabView software and tested by generating test signals in a Simulink model. Furthermore, Total Vector Error (TVE) is calculated using dynamic test signals as per the IEEE Standard C37.118-2011. Performance of different algorithms are analyzed for various cases and the value of TVE is compared with the permissible error limits given in the standard

Operationalising design fiction for ethical computing

Design fiction is a type of speculative design, where story worlds are crafted to then be used as a canvas upon which so-called diegetic prototypes can be sketched [9]. Because these prototypes exist only within story worlds they are not constrained by currently available technology; because of this design fictions are excellent means to open up space for critical conversations about the future [2,6]. This project experiments with using design fiction as a novel way to explore the complexities of technology and ethics. We focus on one specific case to demonstrate the method we adopted, however the contribution is general in nature and may be applicable to other cases too. The work consists of two parts, this paper and a ‘design fiction documentary’ film, ‘Care for a Robot’. The paper and film are intended to be viewed together

Good speciation and endogenous business cycles in a constraint satisfaction macroeconomic model

We introduce a prototype agent-based model of the macroeconomy, with budgetary constraints at its core. The model is related to a class of constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs), which has been thoroughly investigated in computer science. The CSP paradigm allows us to propose an alternative price-setting mechanism: given agents' preferences and budgets, what set of prices satisfies the maximum number of agents? Such an approach permits the coupling of production and output within the economy to the allowed level of debt in a simplified framework. Within our model, we identify three different regimes upon varying the amount of debt that each agent can accumulate before defaulting. In presence of a very loose constraint on debt, endogenous crises leading to waves of synchronized bankruptcies are present. In the opposite regime of very tight debt constraining, the bankruptcy rate is extremely high and the economy remains structure-less. In an intermediate regime, the economy is stable with very low bankruptcy rate and no aggregate-level crises. This third regime displays a rich phenomenology:the system spontaneously and dynamically self-organizes in a set of cheap and expensive goods (i.e. some kind of "speciation"), with switches triggered by random fluctuations and feedback loops. Our analysis confirms the central role that debt levels play in the stability of the economy. More generally, our model shows that constraints at the individual scale can generate highly complex patterns at the aggregate level.Comment: 14 Pages, 11 Figures. Updated Journal Referenc

The Evolution of Public Health and Current Challenges: A Review

From the ancient ages, the human has been plagued by numerous diseases. While ancient people attributed disease due to divine causation and was stigmatised or isolate from the society, the middle ages let scientists find a reasonable explanation for disease, which led to discoveries of microorganisms and maintaining a clean environment and thus, Public Health Was born. This review discusses the evolution of Public Health and current challenges faced by Public Health Professionals

An ethnography of the future

In this paper we describe conducting an ‘anticipatory ethnography’ inquiry, using Spike Jonze’s 2013 sci-fi film Her as the source material. Anticipatory ethnography strives to apply the methods, theories and ideologies of design ethnography, to works of design fiction, in order to produce actionable insights. Thus far the practice has been explored only in theory, this is the first ever application of it in practice, as such the work has been contingent and exploratory. The paper begins by introducing the relevant constructs in general terms; next we describe our method; we conclude by discussing the analysis, pursuit of actionable insights, and reflect on the process and findings

Developing radical-digital interventions to tackle loneliness amongst the elderly

Loneliness is a growing issue amongst older people and one popular approach to tackling it is by developing non-medical interventions such as befriending services, mentoring provisions, social clubs, etc. Our analysis reveals that these interventions are predominantly incremental-physical in nature and that there is a lack of radical-digital ones. In this paper we discuss the properties of digital technologies that can be potentially helpful for the elderly and we suggest that social innovation provides a robust theoretical framework to conceive radical-digital loneliness interventions. We also draw parallels between loneliness interventions based on social innovation and the emerging ‘sharing economy’ in the digital world and discuss the role of third paradigm of HCI research in this area