Innovation in Care - uDay 20

Making innovation in care visible and tangible was the aim of the 20th uDay. The annual Usability Day of the research centre for User Centred Technologies was held this year on 20 September 2022. Based on three current projects, the international conference offered an insight into various innovations for the care sector.

Augmented Reality for CareTrain

In the international CareTrain project initiated by nursing scientist Hubert Jocham, an augmented reality application was developed and evaluated. With this application, it is possible to realistically simulate and train examination situations in clinical assessment. In addition, students can be instructed and guided directly in the clinical-practical action - all this with subsequent professional feedback. The in-house development of the AR application required interdisciplinary collaboration between nursing scientists and engineers. Nino Brugger, programmer and developer of Caretrain Augmented Reality, succeeded in developing a robust AR application that allows users to see inside a virtual heart and chest of a person. The heart can be listened to with a special stethoscope. Various conditions can be examined in the process.

Continuing education for nurses

The second international project presented, IENE 10, is about the development of a further training program for nursing staff so that they are well trained for the use of nursing assistance robots in health and social care facilities. A so-called Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) has been developed that teaches both the positive and negative implications of social assistance robots and artificial intelligence, taking into account aspects of diversity and social inclusion. "We want to provide the practical foundations for the introduction of care assistance robots. Human-robot interaction, technical operation, reaction to malfunctions and ethical requirements also form a central part of this course," explains Andreas Künz from the research centre for User Centred Technologies. Andreas Künz is accompanying the project on the part of the FHV together with nursing scientist and programme director Andrea Kuckert-Wöstheinrich.

Project TeleCareHub

Research is also being conducted at the FHV on telecare solutions. The TeleCareHub project is about identifying telecare relief potentials and offering home care solutions for people with dementia and their caregiving relatives. The FHV has been leading an Austria-wide research consortium with experts from universities, clinics, social services and technology companies since March 2022. In Vorarlberg, Connexia and Intefox are on board as project partners. "We hope that the jointly developed solutions will bring benefits such as increased safety and orientation, early recognition of needs, and assistance in performing daily activities," says project coordinator Katrin Paldán from the research centre for User Centred Technologies.