Independent living with smart technologies Smart Technology for Aging, Disability, and Independence: The State of the Science brings together current research and technological developments from engineering, computer science, and the rehabilitation sciences, detailing how its applications can promote continuing independence for older persons and those with disabilities. Leading experts from multiple disciplines worldwide have contributed to this volume, making it the definitive resource. The text begins with a thorough introduction that presents important concepts, defines key terms, and identifies demographic trends at work. Using detailed product descriptions, photographs and illustrations, and case studies, subsequent chapters discuss cutting-edge technologies, including: * Wearable systems * Human-computer interactions * Assisted vision and hearing * Smart wheelchairs * Handheld devices and smart phones * Visual sensors * Home automation * Assistive robotics * In-room monitoring systems * Telehealth After considering specific high-technology solutions, the text examines recent trends in other critical areas, such as basic assistive technologies, driving, transportation and community mobility, home modifications and design, and changing standards of elder care. Students and professionals in the rehabilitation sciences, health care providers, researchers in computer science and engineering, and non-expert readers will all appreciate this text's thorough coverage and clear presentation of the state of the science.

An advanced look at smart technology to promote the independence of the elderly and disabled Ongoing research and advancements in technology are essential for the continuing independence of elderly and disabled persons. The Engineering Handbook of Smart Technology for Aging, Disability, and Independence provides a thorough analysis of these technologies and the needs of the elderly and disabled, including a breakdown of demographics, government spending, growth rate, and much more. Each chapter is written by an expert in his or her respective field, and gives readers unparalleled insight into the research and developments in a multitude of important areas, including: User-need analyses, classifications, and policies Assistive devices and systems for people with motor disabilities Assistive devices and systems for people with visual and hearing impairments Human-machine interaction and virtual reality Assistive robotics Technology for user mobility and object manipulation Smart homes as assistant environments A discussion of emerging standards and guidelines to build accessible devices, tools, and environments This book is an indispensable resource for researchers and professionals in computer science, rehabilitation science, and clinical engineering. It also serves as a valuable textbook for graduate students in the aforementioned fields.

Includes 15 papers submitted for the Fourth International Conference on Aging, Disability and Independence (ICADI). This publication focuses on aging and disability-related services, and research development and policy. It is suitable for research and development personnel, practitioners/service providers, policymakers, and consumers.

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the National Research Council (NRC) have had prominent roles in discussions of aging, disability, and technology for decades. In 1978, Aging and Medical Education (IOM, 1978) raised national awareness of the challenges to physicians posed by the aging of the U.S. population. Thirty years later, Retooling for an Aging America highlighted concerns for the entire health care workforce in view of the aging of the population, including the role of technology in caring for older populations. The 1988 report The Aging Population in the 21st Century examined social, economic, and demographic changes among older adults, as well as many health-related topics: health promotion and disease prevention; quality of life; health care system financing and use; and the quality of care- especially long-term care. In 1991, the landmark report Disability in America laid out a national agenda to prevent disability and improve the lives of people with disabling conditions. The 1997 report Enabling America: Assessing the Role of Rehabilitation Science and Engineering examined the knowledge base of rehabilitation science and engineering and proposed ways to translate scientific findings into interventions that produce better health. And the 2007 report The Future of Disability in America examined progress made since the earlier reports and looked at continuing barriers that limit the independence, productivity, and participation in community life of people with disabilities. All these reports were produced by committees appointed in accordance with guidelines of the National Academies and met multiples times to compile and review evidence, reach consensus on conclusions and recommendations, draft a report of the committee, and then modify that draft report in response to comments from outside reviewers. The IOM and NRC have also held several workshops related to aging, disability, and technology and published summary reports, such as Technology for Adaptive Aging and Grand Challenges of Our Aging Society. The IOM and NRC also convene groups that take a different approach to issues of pressing national and international importance. Often known as forums or roundtables, these groups meet regularly to foster dialogue and confront issues of mutual interest and concern among a broad range of stakeholders. They can convene workshops, initiate cooperative projects among members, commission independently authored articles, and generate ideas for independent consensus studies. In 2012 the IOM and NRC joined together to establish the Forum on Aging, Disability, and Independence to provide a neutral venue for broad-ranging discussions among the many stakeholders involved with aging and disability. The goals of the forum are to highlight areas in which the coordination of the aging and disability networks is strong, examine the challenges involved in aligning the aging and disability networks, explore new approaches for resolving problem areas, elevate the visibility and broaden the perspectives of stakeholders, and set the stage for future policy actions. Forum sponsors and members include federal agencies, health professional associations, private sector businesses, academics, and consumers. Fostering Independence, Participation, and Healthy Aging Through Technology summarizes this workshop.

Successful transition from school to adult life has always been difficult for people with disabilities, especially in the area of employment. The vast majority of people with disabilities are either unemployed or underemployed with low wages and few benefits, and many governments are struggling to find a way of providing employment and benefits to people with disabilities without creating disincentives to work. This book provides strategies and ideas for improving the lives of people with disabilities, exploring new ways of enabling a successful transition to an integrated adult working life by providing effective instruction and support. Following an introduction which outlines the importance of transition services and meaningful outcomes, topics covered in the remaining chapters include: Person Centered Transition Planning; Enhancing Competence and Independence; Employment Assessment and Career Development; Collaboration between Agencies for a Seamless Transition; Independent Living and Supported Living; and Community Functioning Skills. The book will be of interest to all those who work with transition age students as well as those who work with adults with disabilities and want to enable them to have the best life possible. To paraphrase Helen Keller "people with disabilities not only need to be given lives, they need to be given lives worth living."

We live in a world with an abundance of technologies and the technologies are developing and improving rapidly. Technologies are transforming our lifestyles, social interactions, and workplaces. Nearly everyone in the developed nations possesses multiple electronic gadgets (cell phones, tablets, personal computers, laptops, digital notebooks, etc.). Daily use of technology has evolved. Recent advances in the field of technology have led to the emergence of innovative solutions known as smart technologies. A technology is considered smart if it performs a task that an intelligent person can do. A smart or intelligent technology is a self-operative and corrective system that requires little or no human intervention. Smart technologies can be understood as a generalization of the concept of smart structures and the use of digital and communications technologies. They have given us new, powerful tools to work. Application of such technologies can transform the conventional cities into smart cities, conventional home into smart home, conventional farming into smart farming, etc. Today, we are in an era where everything is expected to be smart. Common examples include smart cities, smart factory, smart agriculture, smart farming, smart healthcare, smart university, smart medication, smart water, smart food, smart materials, smart devices, smart phones, smart grid, smart energy, smart homes, smart buildings, smart metering, smart appliances, smart equipment, smart heating controls, smart lighting systems, smart watch, smart economy, smart environment, smart grids, smart transportation, smart mobility, smart manufacturing, smart living, smart environment, smart people, etc. These technologies will ensure equity, fairness, and realize a better quality of life. The combined autonomy and ambience of smart technologies simultaneously provides the conduit through which our choices are affected. These smart technologies go hand-in-hand with a new technology called the Internet of things (IoT).

This publication presents articles on Aging-in-Place, Assistive Technology, Monitoring and Telehealth, Transportation and Mobility, and Design. The section on assistive technology (AT) represents arguably the most mature and generic aspect of technology and aging; except that AT can hardly be regarded really as a specific discipline any longer. Assistive devices and systems command an expansive gamut of technological and engineering specialties, drawing upon mechanical engineering and industrial design at one end of the field and cybernetic systems engineering and brain-computer user interfaces at the other. The largest section in the book, on monitoring and telehealth, reveals novel applications of advanced pattern recognition techniques, some of which have, up to now, found roles primarily in the military, process engineering, and financial sectors. Transportation and mobility still represents by far the largest and most commercially lucrative market segment of technology for seniors. There is however a clear trend towards synthesis of information and communication technologies (ICT) and mobility technologies, which is embodied in the latest developments of automatic collision avoidance and full or semi-autonomous navigation functions in powered mobility devices. The last section is dedicated to design issues. It is proposed that designing for the special needs market before making a design as inclusive as possible to the mainstream market is a viable alternative to the currently accepted notion of inclusive design, provided that aesthetics are appropriately addressed. To conclude, we see a social shift from institutional to home-based care, in which information communication technology based solutions now afford the possibility of aging-in-place for the many thousands of people having mild to moderate cognitive impairment.