SCRIPT: designing and evaluating robotic prototypes

The SCRIPT project as an interdisciplinary Consortium of experts employs an exciting and innovative methodology to design, test and evaluate two robotic devices for home-based rehabilitation of hand and wrist at the chronic stage of stroke. We are applying a mixed of health services and user-centred design methods to engage potential users of the robotic technology during the process of design.

An example of the technology used

© Saebo

Initial engagement with the target users is needed to give researchers a deep understanding of people with stroke/carers and stroke professionals and the context in which they aim to use the devices. Methods that are used to provide data for the initial phase of user-engagement in design are design workshops or focus groups, one-to-one interviews and cultural probes. 

Furthermore, user requirements have been identified through scoping of knowledge and evidence, Use cases of the SCRIPT system have been created as the basic building blocks of a usable system and Wireframes or visual presentation of the SCRIPT User interface have been produced. The findings of all these research activities which reflect clinical aspect as well as usability engineering aspect of the project will be incorporated into the empirical findings of the first phase to create a framework for the SCRIPT system. 

The first SCRIPT prototype will be tested with users using a participatory evaluation method and by encouraging them to think aloud about usability problems. The outcome of the evaluation will be reported to developers, modification will be made to the design for the next iteration of the prototype.  

[written by Nasrin Nasr]

Sarah Kate Smith wins honorable mention at White Rose Spring Conference

Sarah Kate Smith

The annual conference of the White Rose Doctoral Training Centre was held at the University of York on 2^nd May 2012. The theme of the conference was ‘Methodological Challenges for the 21^st Century’ and speakers from the three White Rose Universities, Leeds, Sheffield and York, all gave their perspectives including ScHARR’s Professor Alicia O’Cathain. 

Students and supervisors represented an array of different disciplines at the conference including Law, Sociology, Politics, Geography, Economics, Psychology, Education, Business, Management and Journalism. All new postgraduate research social science students were invited to present a poster about their research. All posters were then entered into a competition and judged by a Doctoral Training Centre panel.  My poster got an honourable mention in the competition, and was very well regarded by the judges.

Sarah's poster on dementia

My poster was titled ‘Can touch-screen technology facilitate social and leisure activity for people with dementia residing in the community?’ The aim of this project is to address the bias towards research that emphasises issues of safety and security for people living with dementia. As important as this area is, far less attention is given to promoting technologies that facilitate activities to make life worth living including meaningful interactions, enjoyment and a sense of achievement. 

Written by Sarah Kate Smith

Introducing: Richard France, our new Centre Development Manager

Richard France

I started on 1^st April 2012 in the role of Centre Development Manager at the new Centre forAssistive Technology and Digital Healthcare. The RAT blog has previously given an overview of the new Centre, which has received an investment of £1.3M from the Vice Chancellor’s Strategic Development Fund.

My background cuts across research, commercialisation and knowledge exchange, predominantly at the life science – engineering interface. I obtained my degree and PhD at Sheffield in materials science and then spent over 10 years as a researcher in the area of biomaterials and tissue engineering. This included time as an academic researcher before moving into industry, working for a spinout company on the development of new scaffold systems for tissue repair and novel in-vitro assays for drug testing.

In 2007, I moved back to the University of Sheffield to work in knowledge exchange, first setting up and managing the N8 METRC Centre and then managing the University’s EPSRC Knowledge Transfer Account.

My role as Centre Development Manager involves managing day-to-day activities for the Centre. Initially this includes coordinating the recruitment of new academic staff, meeting with the 30+ Centre members to understand their research interests and working up a business case for the ‘Living Lab’ – a real world home environment for the evaluation of new technologies.

[written by Richard France]

Joining the Global Ageing Research Network

 Professor Gail Mountain and Professor Stuart Parker  have both been accepted to join the the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics Global Ageing Research Network.

The aim of the Network is to develop an international research capacity in ageing, social gerontology,  and clinical gerontology. It's a great opportunity to develop contacts and collaborations throughout the world to help to tackle some of the problems of ageing and to enhance the quality of life and well-being of all people as they experience ageing at individual and societal levels.

New paper in the Journal of Assistive Technologies

The RAT group has varied interests in the development, implementation and evaluation of assistive technologies. A recent article, published in the Journal of Assistive Technologies presents findings on one of our studies looking at how to develop a telecare system which can increase the users
Quality of Life and reduce social isolation. The paper focuses on the user requirement process for such a system and how, through prototypes, the requirements were refined prior to the system being developed and subsequently tested.

Brownsell S, Blackburn S and Hawley M (2012) "User requirements for an ICT-based system to provide care, support and information access for older people in the community." Journal of Assistive Technologies. Vol. 6 (1), 5-23 DOI 10.1108/17549451211214328 [subscription required]

We are grateful to our Virtex project partners and the Assisted Living Innovation Platform, part of the UK Technology Strategy Board, for funding the study.

Written by Simon Brownsell