Technology
Technology
Technology
The Healthy Home Laboratory (HHL) team designs, develops, and evaluates assistive technologies for seniors and people living with disabilities, with an emphasis on supporting individuals in home settings.
Our design objectives are to design, develop, and evaluate products and technologies that are:
- highly ergonomic and functional,
- provide system integration across technology,
- require a single system installation that allows for modular upgrades; and
- sensor enabled to support monitoring of activities.
Technology Development
Technology development in the HHL concentrates on five major areas within the home environment that are
important for optimizing health outcomes.
Access: Reducing barriers for individuals to enter and leave the home to improve participation.
Mobility: Improving the ability for individuals to move in their homes to promote independence and safety.
Safety: Eliminating physical and environmental risks in the home to maximize health and function.
Fitness: Providing ergonomic and safe solutions to improve health and wellbeing.
Smart Home: Integrating emerging IoT solutions to optimize home environments for healthy living.
We work on products that address gaps in the current market. Our products fill these gaps by providing a range of low-tech to high-tech solutions to support the unique needs and abilities of users. This will enable consumers and providers to select the appropriate assistive technology that meets their needs, and to transition between these different technologies as their needs and abilities change.
Stair Climbing Support
Beyond traditional handrails, the most common device installed in the home to assist with stair ascent and descent is the electronic stairlift. Stairlifts are passive transfer devices that do not allow individuals to continue walking up and down stairs under their own power. We are developing a range of products to support individuals of any ambulatory capacity to ascend and descend stairs.
- Stair Guide – is a low-tech ergonomic movable handle system that aids with stair ascent and descent.
- SafeStep – is a medium-tech device that provides mechanical support for stair climbing.
- RailBot – is a high-tech power assistive device, that provides mechanical assistance for ascending and descending stairs. Publications:
If you are interested in collaborating or learning more about our products, please contact us.
Mobius
Mobius is an adaptable rail system that can be reconfigured to assist with diverse needs that promote safety, mobility, and accessibility in the home. Current railing and molding options do not provide an integrated solution that supports and evolves with users as they age and as their needs change. Mobius will be integrated as part of home renovations and new constructions to facilitate aging-in-place solutions.
Mobius
Mobius is an adaptable rail system that can be reconfigured to assist with diverse needs that promote safety, mobility, and accessibility in the home. Current railing and molding options do not provide an integrated solution that supports and evolves with users as they age and as their needs change. Mobius will be integrated as part of home renovations and new constructions to facilitate aging-in-place solutions.
Technology Testing & Evaluation
The HHL Product Testing & Evaluation team assesses technologies that promote independence and aging-in-place. We do this for products developed internally and externally to determine product safety, efficacy, and usability.
The Healthy Home Laboratory conducts testing and evaluation of three main product areas to support aging in place:
- Technology: devices to assist older adults with the completion of activities of daily living (ADLs) and support access, mobility, safety, and fitness within the home.
- Services & Interventions: services and interventions to support older adults and people with disabilities to live more independently and to enhance their quality of life.
- Assessment: assessment tools, processes, and technologies developed to assess individuals and their environments.
What We Do
The HHL Product Testing & Evaluation team offers a variety of services to internal and external partners. Services include:
- Product Performance Testing & Benchmarking: when introducing a new product into the aging-in-place market, it is critical to determine how that product performs relative to a suite of existing products on the market. The HHL Product Testing & Evaluation team has a library of product performance data collected in accordance with international and national product testing standards for comparison and benchmarking.
- Market Analysis: we provide professional analysis of market gaps, customer segments, and product trends to assess and predict product-market viability.
- Customer Discovery and User Need Assessments: we collaborate with an advisory committee of older adults and key stakeholders who are readily available for interviews and focus groups to uncover unmet needs related to aging-in-place.
- Human Subjects Protocol Development: with our team of lawyers and research experts we assist in writing, hosting, and executing testing with older adults in a home lab setting.
- Human Factors & Usability Evaluation: we have a panel of older adults and people with disabilities available to assess the usability and ergonomics of aging-in-place products.
- Prototype Evaluation and Consultation: we consult and advise on the design, evaluation, and implementation of novel aging-in-place technologies.
What We Do
The HHL Product Testing & Evaluation team offers a variety of services to internal and external partners. Services include:
- Product Performance Testing & Benchmarking: when introducing a new product into the aging-in-place market, it is critical to determine how that product performs relative to a suite of existing products on the market. The HHL Product Testing & Evaluation team has a library of product performance data collected in accordance with international and national product testing standards for comparison and benchmarking.
- Market Analysis: we provide professional analysis of market gaps, customer segments, and product trends to assess and predict product-market viability.
- Customer Discovery and User Need Assessments: we collaborate with an advisory committee of older adults and key stakeholders who are readily available for interviews and focus groups to uncover unmet needs related to aging-in-place.
- Human Subjects Protocol Development: with our team of lawyers and research experts we assist in writing, hosting, and executing testing with older adults in a home lab setting.
- Human Factors & Usability Evaluation: we have a panel of older adults and people with disabilities available to assess the usability and ergonomics of aging-in-place products.
- Prototype Evaluation and Consultation: we consult and advise on the design, evaluation, and implementation of novel aging-in-place technologies.
HHL’s Unique Assets
The HHL combines world-class research facilities with our dedicated community residence adjacent to the University of Pittsburgh campus. This allows us to study technology in a realistic home-setting. We have assembled an interdisciplinary team of engineers, rehab technologists, smart home tech experts, occupational therapists, physical therapists, other healthcare providers, older adults and yes even a few lawyers to support any project. Here are a just a few of the projects of the HHL team and Pitt collaborators:
