Project: Smart System for the Management and Control of Shift Workers Circadian Rhythms

Acronym Clockwork (Reference Number: aal-2013-6-055)
Duration 02/06/2014 - 02/07/2019
Project Topic Challenges addressed and AAL-solutions: Shift work causes changes to workers’ circadian rhythms (CRs) which, in turn lead to illnesses, early retirement and occupational hazards. The solution expects to identify chronodisruptors, offer tools to re-establish CRs and contribute to long-lasting occupational life, acting on the side of prevention and coping. 2. Target groups for the proposal: Middle-aged to older shift workers who become affected by chronodisruption, such as health care workers, but also policemen, fire-fighters, guards, mining, drivers, aircraft crews, pilots, seafarers, chefs, hotel crews, warehouse workers… 3. Technology to be employed: Technology combines and integrates different solutions wirelessly connected: 1) an environmental circadian empowerment system composed by lighting sources with electronics specifically developed for the project; 2) an activity wristband containing temperature, light and activity sensors; 3) a feedback support and application framework containing the required algorithms to control each device in the system. 4. Business model: The system can be distributed and programmed by specialized retailers and sold directly to customers. Another possible business model would be that health insurance companies reimburse the basic system and that the institutional users pay for the complete system and additional modules they desire. Furthermore, third parties could pay a license fee for developing and selling additional sensors/actuators to the solution. These third parties can easily develop these additional modules due to the use of existing protocols. 5. End-user participation: Two main groups of end-users acting as team members: professionals from health care settings and from infrastructure maintenance. The project will engage true shift workers who will not only provide input and bring insight into the requirements and design phases, as will later be testing the solution in real contexts.
Network AAL
Call Call 6 – Supporting occupation in life for older adults

Project partner

Number Name Role Country
Ab.Acus S.r.l. Italy
Associação Fraunhofer Portugal Research Portugal
BCB Informática y Control SL Spain
Grado Zero Espace srl Italy
KOHS PIMEX Austria
Lucibel SA France
Portugal Telecom Comunicações Portugal
RK Tech, Kft. Hungary
Università degli Studi di Ferrara Italy