.......Design and Technology 2009: February 2008

Major Studio¬ Interactivity
Instructor: Jason Corace
Date: 2/12/08

Project: Design for Nursing Homes/Retirement Community

Design Proposal: Interactive Furniture
By Karyim Carreia

My Design Proposal for the Nursing Homes and Retirement Communities is Interactive Furniture. My recent research has led me to believe that people who live in the retirement communities love social interaction. These interactions can be conduced by many different elements, whether person-to-person or person to animal and a more frequent pattern these days person to machine. Some of my precedents for this idea are representations of person to machine interactivity, such installations include the “Interactive Chairs” by Moritz Waldemeyer, “Therapeutic Kitchens” conducted by UF College of Design instructor John Marsden and “Video Game Chairs” so commonly used by thousands of younger consumers around the world.

Although some precedents had a greater impact then others in formulating a persistent proposal, each served as a constant reminder of human beings fixation with interactivity. In the elderly community the interactive furniture would propose a great service, and provide the essential help needed for those battling with Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease is a serious dilemma in retirement communities and hasn’t been addressed in a relative approach. John Marsden “Therapeutic Kitchens” installations have deduced numerous studies dealing with Alzheimer's disease.

The kitchens were proven useful in helping aide in cognitive response with Alzheimer's patients. Items in the kitchens include refrigerators, conventional ovens all arranged in very traditional fashion. Allowing for cognitive response among the patients, my interactive furniture designs would be modeled after this same premise of using common household articles. The article of furniture in which I intend to develop is the recliner or easy chair. Quite simply it’s a design that everyone is familiar with no matter what generation. This design is not to inspire laziness or isolation, but be use as a tool for interactivity and everyday use.

The technical aspects of the furniture would include the processes of RFID Tagging, which is currently being used to keep track of residents of retirement villages with Alzheimer's disease. The tagging would be optional for those without the disease. The RFID Tags will store information about each user, musical tastes, favorites books, and even voice recordings. If the chairs user is someone with Alzheimer's disease most of this information can be given by the patients family. This facet would allow for great social activity among family and friends of resident.

RFID Tag – Most commonly used to track items such as luggage, produce in grocery stores and psychiatric patients
Most would be against the use of such a technology, but I feel the safety of Alzheimer's disease patients is a serious issue.

The Chair – I found that the design should be something very familiar looking, not foreign and doesn’t have the feel of a computer or machine. This furniture should be scene as a very traditional piece in a common everyday household.

Features – Voice activated controls, RFID Tag screening, Speakers of sound and auditory response.

User Scenarios –

First User: Alzheimer's disease Patient

Primary use – memorization, auditory stimulation

Second User: Regular Resident of Retirement Village

Primary use – Interactive Database (sharing personal information with other residents), a tool for enjoyment (listening to there favorite music, audio books etc.)

Conclusion –

My intention is to design furniture that could be commonly used on daily bases and help aide in the battling with Alzheimer's disease. The design is not meant to promote laziness or isolation within these retirement communities, but to be use as a tool of reference. How do we stimulate memories and focus it around the everyday items we take for granted?