UCD, Ergonomics and Inclusive Design: The HABITAT Project

Recent forecasts about the European population have highlighted the fact that the number of elderly people will grow rapidly in the upcoming years and that the economic impact of aging society will be relevant in all EU countries. In this perspective, a healthy, active, and independent aging, for as long as possible, is a goal that involves the whole community, as it can lead to an improvement in the quality of life and a great cost savings. In this scenario, digital technology can put itself at the service of healthy ageing also by empowering available tools and devices, and allowing the development of new support paradigms, like seamless anywhere-anytime medical treatment and home assistance, with sustainable quality and costs. The article aims at describing the application of a Human Centered design tool, like the QFD, to the selection and development of technological solutions related to physical and cognitive ergonomics issues in the design of smart objects connected to the Internet of Things for elderly. The applied methods take also in account the needs of all the people involved in the care and assistance of the elderly, trying to define the most inclusive and less intrusive design solutions. The analysis is based on the first results obtained by the Habitat project, a multidisciplinary design research focused on the development of a IOT platform for the Home Assistance of self-sufficient and non-self-sufficient elderly users.