CATCH event - Technology for Independence

This CATCH workshop on Technology for Independence will include a full programme including an inspiring invited speaker and presentations on a range of topics including: innovative switch developments; Specialist NHS England Environmental Control services update; outcome measures for Environmental Control; innovative communication aid developments; and assistive technology hackathons. CATCH have also secured support from Pitch-In (see below for more details) to run an afternoon session focusing on the Internet of Things and internet connected assistive technologies. There will be opportunity to discuss how you see the IoT working with the 'kit' you use in the future and also how your devices currently use the internet/network connectivity. We will also be looking to involve AT developers/suppliers.

Simon Wheatcroft has confirmed he will present as the invited speaker. Simon lost his sight in his teenage years but Simon not only navigates his everyday life, but also runs outdoors with only a Smartphone app called Runtracker and his remaining senses as a guide. Indeed Simon has competed in ultra-marathons around the UK, and continues to test himself in other parts of the world, including New York and a North African desert! In addition Simon has taken advantage of his unique skill-base and assisted leading technology companies with their products; by improving accessibility through inclusive user-centric design.

PROGRAMME

Morning Session

9.30: Opening of event - Simon Judge, Barnsley AT Team /CATCH

9.35: Pitch-in - Luc de Witte, CATCH

9.40: Technology enabling the impossible! - Simon Wheatcroft

10.20: Hackcessible: A case study on stimulating user led innovation in Assistive Technology - Aejaz Zahid, Assistronix / Barnsley AT Team /CATCH

10.40: BREAK

11.00: An innovative switch based on the Raspberry Pi and computer vision - Christos Christoforidis, Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

11.20: VocaTempo: evaluation of a voice-input voice-output communication aid - Kate Fryer, Aejaz Zahid, Stuart Cunningham, Sid Seghal, Mark Hawley, Simon Judge - Barnsley Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust & CATCH

11.40: The development of an outcome measure for provision of environmental control equipment - Kathryn Thom, Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust

12.00: NHS England Specialist Environmental Control Services – where are we now? - Zoë Clarke, Carolyn Young, Alan Woodcock; Barnsley Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

12.25 : What is the role of conferences in the Assistive Tech field? Simon Judge, T4I

12.45: LUNCH and Industry showcase

After lunch session

14.00: Pitch-In Internet of Things workshop: introduction and aims - Stephen Potter, CATCH

14.05: IoT applications showcase

14.30: Small group exercise (1): ideas, challenges

15.15: BREAK

15.30: Small group exercise (2): obstacles, funding

16.15: Summary and conclusions

16.30: CLOSE

The Pitch-In programme (http://pitch-in.ac.uk/) aims to promote the uptake of Internet of Things technology across a variety of sectors of the economy, one of which is “health and wellbeing”. As part of this initiative, we are running a series of workshops in order to: (i) promote awareness of IoT to the health/care sector; (ii) provoke a discussion about the concerns raised by and the barriers to its application; and (iii) identify possible applications of IoT and collaborations that will take forward those ideas.

As part of the workshop on Monday 17th December, we would like to include some short demonstrations of ‘real’ applications of IoT technologies to make the concept more concrete for attendees. We have in mind any system comprised of connected devices which share data about the people, things and places around them, along with mechanisms to aggregate and analyse that data, and then to take appropriate actions in order to improve the state of people or their environments. Here we’re specifically interested in systems that are intended to improve the health, wellbeing or independence of users. Note that these systems need not be ‘user facing’, e.g. be for resource usage monitoring or more efficient automatic environmental controls. If you have such a system and would like the opportunity to demonstrate it during the workshop, please get in touch with Stephen Potter - Stephen.Potter@sheffield.ac.uk.