FLATS - Future living with Assistive Technology In Singapore

 

Author:
Last Update: 10 Jan 2006

 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

NTU is partnering with the Society of the Physically Disabled (SPD) to spearhead a national wide effort to focus on research and development of assistive technology (AT) for the disabled and the elderly.

We are targeting AT in four areas:

1. Environmental Assistance
2. Mobility Aids
3. Alternative and Augmentative Communications
4. Computer Access

 

Abstract

Future Living with Assistive Technology in Singapore (FLATS) is a project that integrates intelligent assistive technology, human factors engineering, and architectural universal design to provide intuitive assisted-living solutions for people with special needs. This project explores ways to improve the quality of life of the disabled and elderly by allowing them to live independently and age in place with the use of assistive technology in smart homes. A prototype smart home would be built and evaluated for large scale implementation.

 

Background

There are about 350,000 Singaporeans living with some form of disabilities who need assistance to cope with their daily lives. These include people with injuries (permanent and temporary), patients suffering from stroke and diseases, and the aged.

The problem of aging population is deteriorating, with the elderly estimated to make up more than 25% of the population by 2030. This would see a drastic increase in aging related disability. In reality, the social impact of disability is far more reaching, exacerbating the quality of life of the estimated 1.2 million families and friends of the disabled.

 

Objectives

The goal is to implement intelligent universal housing – one that is designed for everybody in the population, healthy and disabled alike, on a major scale in Singapore.

• Integrate universal design architecture and assistive technology for large-scale implementation in HDB flats
• Integrate various forms of AT on a common platform for modularity, scalability and compatibility
• Design & build a prototype smart home with the aforementioned technology, and evaluate its use by the elderly and disabled

Currently, the main parts are:

• An Investigation on the Use of State-of-the-art Robotics Technology for Assisted Living Applications (Project I)
  (ANG Ming Chong - Undergraduate)
• An Investigation on the Use of State-of-the-art Robotics Technology for Assisted Living Applications (Project II)
  (POH Junjie - Undergraduate)

 

GRANT:

• (Pending) Seed Funding, Intelligent Devices And Systems (IDeAS) Cluster, NTU.
• (Pending) Home 2015 Program, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).

 

PERSONNEL: