BaltSe@nior

Innovative solutions to support enterprises in the Baltic Sea Region in product development aimed at raising comfort and safety of seniors home living

http://baltsenior.up.poznan.pl

Total budget: EUR 2,4 million

Duration: May 2016 – April 2019

The project is supported by the European Union's Regional Development Fund and is a Interreg Baltic Sea Region program project

Partners:

• Poznan University of Life Sciences
• Development Centre UMT
• Art Academy of Latvia
• Ukmerge District Municipality Administration
• Tallinn University of Technology
• University Hospital of North Norway
• Technical University of Munich
• University of Skövde
• Hanseatic Parliament
• Satakunta University of Applied Sciences

Project Description:

The purpose of the project is to create synergies between the traditional furniture industry and innovative ICT solutions. Thereby new furniture will be developed, which aim to increase safety, reliability, specific needs and preferences of seniors and their problems they face in their daily activities. By combining design, technology, ICT and robotics, economy and social sciences, through a broad established consortium, the projects will not only promote the awareness and necessity of increased comfort and safety for elderly, but also indicate the opportunity for companies to enhance their capacity of innovation and competitiveness. The project aims to deliver groundbreaking ICT tools, knowledge and innovative working methodologies, which supports companies in new product development, in future.

The Chair of Building Realization and Robotics from the Technical University of Munich is responsible for novel ICT implementation into furniture within this Project. The unobtrusive implementation of various sensors, as well as robotic aspects, into the furniture aims to increase the self-sufficiency and independency of the user. The Chair possess a 1:1 scaled 32 m² test apartment, where the developed prototypes can be tested by invited elderly. Thereby the user feedback can be considered in a very early development stage of the prototypes, which increase the success opportunity of the project.