以用家為本的樂齡產品

隨著人口高齡化,政府近年提倡居家安老。儘管樂齡科技商機處處,惟開發產品的過程往往局限於傳統實驗室的受控環境內,容易導致研發出來的產品有欠實用,無法解決長者日常生活中的難題。

若要扭轉這個局面,一個以用家為本、體驗為主的方式來研發樂齡科技產品和服務的「生活實驗室」,或是可行的做法,亦是國際新趨勢。生活實驗室強調將產品及服務開發過程中的四個階段,從「構思」、「原型」、「開發」到「行銷」,帶到真實生活環境中,開發過程邀請真實用家參與,如此才能發展出更「貼地」、切合用家實際需要的產品與服務。

香港與墨爾本生活實驗室攜手合作 開發更多樂齡創新方案
匯聚不同界別人士攜手共創,是「生活實驗室」的一大理念。
用家意見助改良產品

在生活實驗室的研發框架下,收集用家意見是十分重要的一環,而當中包括「探知」、「試驗」及「評審」的歷程。因為只有從用家角度出發,辨識他們的實際需要與困難,才能構思出貼近他們所需的產品及服務。接下來,亦要按用家於真實環境測試下提供的意見,不斷改良至逐步完善成最終方案。

舉例說,透過共創工作坊,由用家(長者和照顧者)、專業人士(職業治療師、室內設計師和建築師),以及大學生共同建構模擬「樂齡安樂窩」單位,以解決老友記於細小家居環境裡生活的需要。另一例子是透過篩查有膝關節問題的長者,了解他們的痛處及存在風險,開發手機應用程式,以人工智能進行快速而準確的評估,及早識別膝關節問題,並建議相應治療方案。

藉著生活實驗室這個可讓用家參與其中的開發和測試平台,盼望能集合社會各界力量,將更多創新概念轉化成能夠幫助長者的樂齡科技產品與服務,讓他們創建理想家居,居家安老。

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香港與墨爾本生活實驗室攜手合作 開發更多樂齡創新方案

The Living Lab in Gerontechnology for Age-Friendly Home (Age-Friendly Home Living Lab) at the Hong Kong Housing Society’s Elderly Resources Centre under the leadership of Dr Carmen Ng and the Swinburne Living Lab (Centre for Design Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology) led by Prof Sonja Pedell have agreed on future collaborations in the areas of co-design and research on technologies that support older adults living at home to age-in-place. Both Living Labs are members of the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL), and bring vast experience and complementing skills in industry and evidence-based research to this collaboration. The collaboration provides unique opportunities to trial and develop age-friendly products and services in different markets and scale solutions across continents.

「樂活安居生活實驗室」正式啟動_1

The Age-Friendly Home Living Lab invited members of the Steering Committee and collaborators to a simple yet momentous Launch Celebration to announce its logo, at the same time guests posted their logos of respective institutions to imply Living Lab connects and bridges different stakeholders to co-create greater age-friendly solutions. An elderly user shared her personal experiences in advocating gerontechnology development during the Launch Celebration, and revealed real-life feedback from users is crucial to age-friendly end-products.

Know more about Age-Friendly Home Living Lab: https://erc.hkhselderly.com/erc/tc/content.php?pid=52