Skip to ContentSkip to Navigation
Centre for Public Health in Economics and Business
Faculty of Economics and Business
Centre for Public Health in Economics and Business Events Seminars

October 2015 - Technology and healthy aging

Design and deployment of technology to support healthy aging

On Friday 16 October 2015, Wendy A. Rogers, PhD (School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology) held a seminar about 'Design and deployment of technology to support healthy aging'. The entrance of the seminar was free of charge.

Abstract

Why design for aging? More and more consumers and users of technology are joining the ranks of “older adult.” Currently, people over the age of 65 represent 14% of the population in the United States and 18% of the population in the Netherlands. These numbers are projected to increase and such demographic trends bring changes in the demands for products and services. There is much potential for technology to support older adults in their goal of independent and healthy aging. However, for such technologies to be adopted and successful, they must be designed with user needs in mind. That is, designers hold the key, in many instances to not only increasing market share for a given product but to increasing the quality of older adults’ lives. In the Human Factors and Aging Laboratory at the Georgia Institute of Technology, we take a human factors approach to improving technology design, instruction, and deployment for older adults. The goal for this presentation will be to provide a primer on the issues that must be considered when designing systems, products, environments, and instructional materials for older adults. Topics for discussion will include a ging demographics, older adults’ capabilities and limitations, design guidelines, involving older adults in the design process, training/instruction, and technology acceptance. I will provide case studies to illustrate key points. Our focus is on understanding the interactions between user characteristics, technology characteristics, and the context of the interactions (e.g., task demands). Contexts for the discussion will include aging with disability, aging-in-place, and healthcare.

Biography Wendy A. Rogers, PhD

Wendy A. Rogers is Professor in the School of Psychology at the Georgia Institute of Technology. She received her B.A. from the University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth, and her M.S. (1989) and PhD (1991) from Georgia Institute of Technology. Her research interests include design for aging; technology acceptance; human-automation interaction; aging-in-place; human-robot interaction; cognitive aging; and skill acquisition and training. She is Director of the Human Factors and Aging Laboratory (www.hfaging.org), which is funded by: the National Institutes of Health (National Institute on Aging) as part of the Center for Research and Education on Aging and Technology Enhancement ( www.create-center.org ); and the Department of Health and Human Services (National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research; NIDILRR) Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Technologies to Support Successful Aging with Disability ( www.techsage.gatech.edu ). Dr. Rogers is also an active member of the Aware Home Research Initiative ( http://awarehome.imtc.gatech.edu ). Dr. Rogers is a Certified Human Factors Professional (BCPE Certificate #1539) and a fellow of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) and the American Psychological Association (APA). She is past Editor of the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied and currently serves as the Chief Editorial Advisor for APA.

Last modified:09 April 2020 2.14 p.m.
Follow us ontwitter linkedin