Project: An Open and Adaptable Platform for elderly people and persons with disability to access the Information Society

¿ Rationale_x000D__x000D_Numerous efforts are carried out today that aim at filling the gap between the Information Society and the elderly persons and persons with disabilities. These efforts are focused on making the Internet accessible. When web sites are accessed, users with visual or auditive deficiencies can access the contents through specific screen browsers, Braille-adapted keyboards, subtitled videos, etc._x000D__x000D_When users are suffering motor disability, the web pages need to have the active areas with a considerable size in order to facilitate the use to persons who do not have a precise control of the mouse (Persons with the Parkinson disease, brain paralysis, etc). These persons need specific developments that might have as consequence the reduction of the information these persons can access. Also, it could happen that people with severe motor disabilities are not even able to access the information._x000D__x000D_Today we all suffer from both time and space constraints. The objective is to allow everyone to overcome these constraints through an adaptive tool providing access to new, simpler and more accessible multimedia services_x000D__x000D_¿ Target users_x000D__x000D_Senior people and persons suffering from disabilities, including severe cognitive and motor disabilities. In this last case, specific elements of interaction with the computer may be needed such as pulsers, etc._x000D__x000D_¿ Objectives_x000D__x000D_Development of an adaptable hardware and communications-based interface for computer or television._x000D__x000D_Development of a platform for the creation of services and applications specific to the disabled and ageing people and with different goals:_x000D_• Social goals: _x000D_o Development of a web navigator that integrates simple mechanisms of interaction through the use of hardware alternative to the keyboard such as voice orders._x000D_o Build up social networks between people sharing the same disability. _x000D_The benefits will be to bridge the digital divide by allowing elderly people and persons with severe disabilities to access to the Society of the Information through simple mechanisms of interaction._x000D_• Healthcare goals: _x000D_o Build up services to perform mind training exercise._x000D_o Create personalized healthcare service, i.e. warn the senior people and persons with disabilities of the timing of a specific treatment (pills)._x000D_The benefits will be two-fold: to COtain the elderly people and persons with severe disabilities active through mind exercise and to help the medical personnel (Hospital) to monitor the correct treatment of the targeted persons._x000D__x000D_¿ Expected Results_x000D__x000D_The expected results of the project are:_x000D_- An hardware interface device set adaptable to the senior people and persons with disabilities and enabling the interface with the computer or television._x000D_- A framework (tools and methods) for the creation and deployment of services and applications._x000D_- The development of services including a web navigator allowing the access of elderly people and persons with disabilities to the Internet._x000D_- Two technology demonstrators in the area of eHealth and Entertainment._x000D_- An analysis of business opportunities and business requirements (identifying their key strengths and weakness) for the successful commercialization of project results._x000D__x000D_¿ Pilot Scenario_x000D__x000D_The NAVIGA project includes two case-study / scenarios to demonstrate the functionality of the developed framework. A concrete pilot application will be developed and evaluated in a Hospital targeting at the validation of a medical care service. Another scenario will be developed and evaluated in a specific Healthcare centre, targeting the access of elderly people and persons with disabilities to the Information Society through web specific navigator access, social networks and mind training. The scenarios will include the participation of real end-users to validate the technological developments. _x000D__x000D_¿ Consortium_x000D__x000D_The consortium is composed of 5 research-performing SMEs (investing min. 20% of annual turnover in R&D), 1 University and two end users from 2 countries (Spain and France) with proven experience in hardware and software development, the Information Society and the eHealth sector._x000D__x000D_The two end users (an Hospital and a daily Healthcare centre located both in the Madrid region) will participate in the project but will no fundings from EUROSTARS)._x000D__x000D_¿ Market Application_x000D__x000D_The most difficult part will be to find services that are useful and appealing for end-users. The only valid way to test an idea is to develop a pilot application and watch the market reaction. Thanks to the NAVIGA framework it will be very easy to develop new interactive applications, and thus, it will be possible to get the market response to new ideas with reduced investments._x000D__x000D_The two pilot experiences will provide a highly useful technology demonstrator to gain a comprehensive knowledge of the application of such a platform in Hospitals and Health daily centres. New applications and business opportunities are foreseen as a major project result._x000D__x000D_

Acronym	NAVIGA (Reference Number: 4583)
Duration	01/07/2009 - 01/01/2012
Project Topic	NAVIGA is a platform allowing elderly people and persons with disability to access the Internet and the Information Society through an innovative and disability adaptable navigator. NAVIGA also allows the creation of services targeted to social networks, mind training and personalized health care.
Project Results (after finalisation)	Development and test of a Spanish version of our cognitive training Web-based service.
Network	Eurostars
Call	Eurostars Cut-Off 2

Project partner

Number	Name	Role	Country
6	AnswareTech S.L.	Coordinator	Spain
6	Entropy Computational Services SLU	Partner	Spain
6	MIND AUTONOMY RESEARCH SARL	Partner	France
6	ONIX Asesores Informáticos S.L.	Partner	Spain
6	TECHNOSENS SAS	Partner	France
6	Universidad Europea de Madrid	Partner	Spain