Progetto HABITAT. Ambienti assistivi e riconfigurabili per utenza anziana [HABITAT Project. Assistive and Reconfigurable Environments for Elderly Users]

The increase in the average age of the world population forces to find solutions to extend people's autonomy in their daily spaces. To be able to make flexible and changeable homes and furnishings over the years on the basis of their abilities / disabilities, exponentially increases the quality of life of self-sufficient and not self-sufficient elderly people. HABITAT, a project funded and already concluded within the POR FESR 2014-2020 of the Emilia Romagna Region, has developed and tested a platform based on the Internet of Things that allows the creation of assistive and reconfigurable spaces. The Habitat project’s objective has been to guide the user towards new living systems, new ways of interaction between the environment and the human being. Furthermore, these living transformations will not only be useful and helpful for the elderly people who will personally take advantage of the designed devices, but will also be of immense support for all those users (health workers, OSS, carers, relatives) who interface with them. Being able to manage, monitor, control and help the elderly person without making physical or intellectual efforts and without seeming a clumsy or indiscreet presence, simply imbue with autonomy, independence and self-esteem, the elderly or disabled person.