ALAN – Using new video and digital technologies to support health and wellbeing

ALAN Meeting Programme

Hosted by Paul O’Collins, Business West

6:00 Drinks and refreshments

6:30 Welcome to ALAN, Nigel Harris, Designability

6:40 Paul O’Collins, The Enterprise Europe Network, BusinessWest

The Enterprise Europe Network helps you do business in Europe and beyond. As part of the Innovate UK family, they offer specialist support in accessing global partnership opportunities, innovation business growth support and access to UK and EU research and development grant funding.

6:55 Darren Cosker, Centre for the Analysis of Motion, Entertainment Research and Applications (CAMERA), University of Bath

We are utilising and developing the capabilities of visual computing technologies to assist with the recovery and rehabilitation of people with physical impairments, including amputees. These technologies allow us to better record and understand the impact and severity of their physical limitations and explore methods to combat this. We have a strong history of working to develop solutions that ultimately allow people with disabilities to have a better quality of life. We are interested both in the development of new technologies, such as prosthetic components, as well as new ways of measuring physical function and patient outcomes.

7:35 Zack Lyons, A virtual reality rehabilitation environment for people with Executive Dysfunction Centre for Digital Entertainment, University of Bath

We are finding new ways to help people who struggle with everyday life as a result of an acquired frontal brain injury. Frontal brain injuries also make it very difficult for people to read social signals in others and to manage the impulses their feelings generate. So they have significant challenges to meet in order to participate in ordinary society. We have been working with clinical psychologists to create ‘virtual reality’ (VR) experiences of challenging life-like situations to support rehabilitative interactions between people with executive dysfunction and their therapists.

7:55 Thomas Williams, Investigating Augmented Reality as a Cognitive Prosthesis for people living with Dementia, Centre for Digital Entertainment, University of Bath and Designability

There have been considerable advances in the technology and range of application of Virtual and Augmented Reality Environments. However, to date there has been limited work examining how design principles that would support successful adoption. The aim of this new three year research project is to explore how AR could be used to support those with cognitive difficulties with daily living tasks and activities. This will specifically focus on those living with dementia.

8:10- 8:30 Drinks and networking