C-BRAIN-2018-2019-7: O envelhecimento mundial, tecnologia e a realidade dos cuidados de saúde /Ageing Well, technology and Healthcare (A. Espingardeiro)

Presenter: António Espingardeiro

TITLE: O envelhecimento mundial, tecnologia e a realidade dos cuidados de saúde /Ageing Well, technology and Healthcare

ABSTRACT:

Current worldwide demographics scenarios are likely to present additional challenges in terms of human care. The ageing societies and the lack of care resources are a phenomenon that cannot be detached from a technological standpoint. We will need assistive technologies able to extend human levels of care to elderly populations. At the same time it is likely that robotics and automation will cross the boundaries of industry and enter social domains through the form of technological tools. The conjunction of information systems, robotics and health care can result into Social Assistive Robots (SARs). Such powerful combination has the potential to reformulate human interactions, health care, businesses, communications, or even entertainment.

In that domain the first generation of (SARs) are likely to provide added benefits in terms of supervision, cognitive assistance and companionship. Human Robot Interactions (HRIs) by their nature are very broad. A robot might not be static as a computer since it has a certain behaviour associated to its body frame, it can move or acquire different shapes according to different scenarios. The main benefits of such interactions are set to be qualitative and especially related to the notion of scalability. A robot can provide continuous supervision of elderly groups by using sensing abilities beyond the human nature. So the use of SARs is a complex issue to debate. We will need further research that could encompass more active user participation throughout the robotics design phases. A deep analysis is required in terms understanding where humans perform better and robots offer other types of advantages. Making that parallelism will help humans to conceive introduction schemes for providing the best care as possible for elderly groups.

BIO:

Antonio Espingardeiro is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). He holds a BEng in Industrial Informatics from Setúbal Polytechnic Institute (Portugal), an MSc in Robotics and Automation (Distinction) from University of Salford, Manchester (UK) and a PhD in Information Systems for Social Assistive Robots from University of Salford, Manchester (UK). He is an expert in the development of assistive technologies for expanding human care. He is the author of the following books: “The day humans live with machines” and “The new robotics landscape”. He has published several articles in international conferences and scientific journals. He currently works at KCS IT innovation in conjunction with the Accenture UK delivery centre where he has implemented numerous international projects. He currently advises the IEEE UK and IEEE USA sections on the topics of information systems and robotics.