Smart Condo Aims to Help Physically Disabled Gain Independence

Professors and students at the University of Alberta have created a prototype of an apartment that, if successful, might lead to a leap in unobtrusive home surveillance technology for the elderly and disabled.

The prototype, now in place at the Telus Centre, is the product of a massive cross-discipline project that began as part of a class on the development of disability-friendly products in the Department of Occupational Therapy, and later spread to Computing Science, Pharmacy, and Industrial Design.

"The activity monitoring system will aid people who have inabilities and need to be monitored and assisted with either reminders or help from a health professional," said Lili Liu, chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy.

"The long-term vision is to build a space that will enable the disabled or elderly to live independently longer."
Traditionally, the elderly or disabled often require either in-house assistance or time-consuming and invasive
video surveillance.

The new monitoring system hopes to do away with both, increasing the independence and privacy of those living with disability.