Technology and Aging: Users' Preferences in Wearable Sensor Networks

Population aging is a global phenomenon. It is also enduring: we will not return to the young populations that our ancestors knew. It is hence crucial to use any possible means, including sensing technology, to improve the quality of life of older adults, as well as their relatives and caregivers. In this paper, we study acceptability and usability of a system for silent monitoring with sensors hidden in wearable objects, which record data and send it to a server for further elaboration. The server collects and stores information, and gives an alert in case of danger. The goal of such a system should be to improve the safety and independence of end users with a technology as little intrusive and visible as possible. For this reason, we conducted a survey to understand the system's features required for its market release.

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