scholarly journals Assistive Technologies: Social Barriers and Socio-Technical Pathways

Societies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 41
Author(s):  
Linda Nierling ◽  
Maria Maia
Keyword(s):  
Development Strategy ◽  
Independent Living ◽  
Technology Development ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Assistive Technologies ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
International Regulation ◽  
Future Technology

Against the background of recent international regulation, the role of assistive technologies in the fields of independent living, education, and employment is analyzed in this article to propose a future strategy for a socio-technical perspective on their further development processes. Based on qualitative expert interviews at the European level, the role and scope of ATs in these fields are described for three types of disabilities: visual impairment, hearing impairment, and autism spectrum disorder. The findings show that digitalization processes entail major opportunities and challenges for ATs in all three fields and that further measures are needed to bring technical opportunities to their full potential in adverse social contexts. Regarding future technology development, the authors propose a development strategy focusing strongly on the social context of the devices. Only in this manner, relevant “unintended consequences”, as well as social or ethical concerns, can be identified and addressed.

Science and Technology in a New Development Strategy

1979 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 335-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ponna Wignaraja
Keyword(s):  
Development Strategy ◽  
Technology Development ◽  
Basic Question ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
New Man ◽  
New Development ◽  
Development Participation ◽  
Zero Sum ◽  
Stock Of Knowledge ◽  
Development Perspective

This paper examines the conventional top-down framework of development, with its dependence on transfer of external capital and technology, and then attempts to formulate an alternative perspective primarily in terms of human development, participation and self-reliance. It identifies some issues relevant to technology development and choices within the new development perspective both in ‘developed’ and in ‘developing’ countries. It argues that techno-economic notions of development and marginal reforms contribute neither to a meaningful social change nor to development in wider human terms; a new man-nature-technology mix is required. Development in human terms requires new processes and a non-alienating technology, based primarily on the existence of more than one stock of knowledge and technology yet to be created. It raises several fundamental questions to which developmentalists and technologists alike must address themselves, and identifies some possible interventions based on actual experience for utilizing the full potential for scientific enquiry, and the systematic application of the results of such enquiry, to the task of transforming society in economic as well as human terms and enhancing the dignity and creativity of people everywhere. The paper thus attempts to respond to the basic question, with the new understanding of reality: Cannot ‘another development’ in technology help to reverse the zero-sum game, which the development process has become, and transform it into a positive-sum game?

An “all-in-one” wearable application for assisting children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Yiannis Koumpouros
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Independent Living ◽  
Speech Therapy ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Subjective Evaluation ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Subjective Assessment ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Assistive Technologies ◽  
Spectrum Disorder

BACKGROUND: Assistive technologies are playing a vital role in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. OBJECTIVE: The current paper presents the design and assessment of an “all-in-one” wearable solution incorporating location monitoring, scheduling, communication, and physiological parameters monitoring functionalities for children with autism and their families/carers. METHODS: Twenty high-functioning children and twenty-five parents participated in the research. The final application was assessed over a period of two months. A highly patient-centred design was followed by a multidisciplinary team of experts (experts in the field of special education, speech therapy, psychology, and informatics) with significant experience in children with autism. The evaluation took place in a real and open environment. All participants were administered the PYTHEIA questionnaire in order to assess the various characteristics of the platform. Pearson’s Chi-squared test was used to examine the independence of the variables, with a statistical significance of 95%. RESULTS: The results support that the implemented features can effectively assist everyday life activities and facilitate the independent living of children with autism. The subjective evaluation of the solution revealed important considerations for further developments. Both groups of users (parents and children) were very satisfied with the implemented functionalities. The flexibility given by the PYTHEIA instrument was very important for the subjective assessment of the different functionalities of the solution. All examined axes were found excellent in terms of their adaptability in daily life activities. CONCLUSIONS: Real-world applications, able to run in an open and uncontrolled environment are critical for this population. PYTHEIA is a valuable instrument that supports the assessment of the device and application as a whole, as well as the evaluation of individual features and functions.

Aviation and the Microbiome

2020 ◽  
Vol 91 (8) ◽  
pp. 651-661
Author(s):  
Joshua T. Davis ◽  
Hilary A. Uyhelji
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Health ◽  
Aviation Safety ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Microbial Colonization ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Aerospace Medicine ◽  
Medical Certification ◽  
Physical Disorders ◽  
The Impact

INTRODUCTION: Although the impact of microorganisms on their hosts has been investigated for decades, recent technological advances have permitted high-throughput studies of the collective microbial genomes colonizing a host or habitat, also known as the microbiome. This literature review presents an overview of microbiome research, with an emphasis on topics that have the potential for future applications to aviation safety. In humans, research is beginning to suggest relationships of the microbiome with physical disorders, including type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory disease. The microbiome also has been associated with psychological health, including depression, anxiety, and the social complications that arise in autism spectrum disorders. Pharmaceuticals can alter microbiome diversity, and may lead to unintended consequences both short and long-term. As research strengthens understanding of the connections between the microbiota and human health, several potential applications for aerospace medicine and aviation safety emerge. For example, information derived from tests of the microbiota has potential future relevance for medical certification of pilots, accident investigation, and evaluation of fitness for duty in aerospace operations. Moreover, air travel may impact the microbiome of passengers and crew, including potential impacts on the spread of disease nationally and internationally. Construction, maintenance, and cleaning regimens that consider the potential for microbial colonization in airports and cabin environments may promote the health of travelers. Altogether, the mounting knowledge of microbiome effects on health presents several opportunities for future research into how and whether microbiome-based insights could be used to improve aviation safety.Davis JT, Uyhelji HA. Aviation and the microbiome. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2020; 91(8):651–661.

Involving people with dementia and their informal caregivers in the development process of assistive technology: Description and evaluation of a user-centered design (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iris A.G.M. Geerts ◽  
Liselore J.A.E Snaphaan ◽  
Inge M.B. Bongers
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Assistive Technology ◽  
Field Study ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Technology Development ◽  
Informal Caregivers ◽  
Assistive Technologies ◽  
User Centered Design ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
User Centered

BACKGROUND Despite the potential value of assistive technology to support people with dementia (PWD) in everyday activities, use of these technologies is still limited. To ensure that assistive technologies better address the specific needs and daily context of PWD and their informal caregivers, it is particularly important to involve them in all different phases of assistive technology development. The literature rarely describes the involvement of PWD throughout the development process of assistive technologies, which makes it difficult to further reflect on and improve active involvement of PWD. OBJECTIVE This two-part study aimed to gather insights on the user-centered design (UCD) applied in the development process of the alpha prototype of the serious game PLAYTIME by describing the methods and procedures of the UCD as well as evaluating the UCD from the perspective of all involved stakeholders. METHODS The first three phases of the user-driven Living Lab of Innovate Dementia 2.0 were applied to directly involve PWD and their informal caregivers through qualitative research methods, including focus groups and a context-field study, in the development of the alpha prototype of PLAYTIME from exploration to design to testing. After the testing phase, a total number of 18 semi-structured interviews were conducted with PWD, their informal caregivers and the project members of PLAYTIME to evaluate the applied UCD from the perspective of all involved stakeholders. The interviews addressed five of the principles for successful UCD and the appropriateness of the different methods used in the focus groups and context-field study. RESULTS Results of the interviews focused, amongst others, on the level of involvement of PWD and their informal caregivers in the development process, the input provided by PWD and their informal caregivers, the value of early prototyping, continuous iterations of design solutions and in-context testing, the role of dementia care professionals in the multidisciplinary project team, and the appropriateness of open- and closed-ended questions for obtaining input from PWD and their informal caregivers. CONCLUSIONS The description and evaluation of the UCD applied in the development process of the alpha prototype of PLAYTIME resulted in several insights on the relevance of UCD for all involved stakeholders as well as how PWD can be involved in the subsequent phases of usable and meaningful assistive technology development.

scholarly journals Augmented Reality Intervention for Social Communication in Autism in a School Classroom: Rated by Teachers and Parents as Effective and Usable in a Controlled, Longitudinal Pilot Study.

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ned T. Sahin ◽  
Rafiq Abdus-Sabur ◽  
Neha U. Keshav ◽  
Runpeng Liu ◽  
Joseph P. Salisbury ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Assistive Technologies ◽  
Adolescent Male ◽  
Single Subject ◽  
Education Teacher ◽  
The Social ◽  
Behavioral Coaching ◽  
School Classroom

Background: Impairment in social communication is the primary deficit in school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Research has shown that there are efficacious interventions to address social communication deficits, yet their delivery is hampered by the lack of human and time resources. Emerging assistive technologies, such as smartglasses, may be able to help augment the social communication interventions currently provided by human educators and therapists. While emerging research suggests assistive socio-emotional coaching smartglasses can be effective and usable in research settings, they have yet to be studied amidst the complex social, physical, and time-constrained environment of the school classroom. This single-subject study reports on the feasibility and efficacy of 16 intervention sessions of the Empowered Brain Face2Face module, a smartglasses-based social communication intervention.Methods: A 13-year-old fully-verbal adolescent male student with a diagnosis of ASD received a total of 16 smartglasses-aided intervention sessions over a two-week period. Interventions occurred twice-daily during school days, and were facilitated by school professionals. Outcomes were measured using the Social Responsiveness Scale 2 (SRS-2), a commonly used validated measure of social communication in children with ASD, by his parent, paraprofessional, and two teachers. Difficulties in usability during the study were recorded through observation notes. Results: The participant completed the three-week study (1 pre-intervention week (baseline) and 2 intervention weeks) without any observations of adverse effects or usability concerns. The parent and 3 educators completed the SRS-2 for the baseline and intervention weeks, demonstrating significant improvement in social communication after the intervention relative to baseline. The parent, special education teacher, and general education teacher noted marked reductions in SRS-2 total T score, with improvement in SRS-2 social communication, social motivation, social cognition, and restricted interests and repetitive behavior subscales. Conclusion: Smartglasses are a novel assistive technology that can help facilitate social communication and behavioral coaching for students with ASD. The use of the Face2Face module by Educators over a two-week period was associated with improvements in social communication. While further research is warranted, this study supports the use of this novel technology to deliver assistive social communication and behavioral coaching in schools.

scholarly journals Optimized CRISPR tools and site-directed transgenesis in Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes for gene drive development

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuechun Feng ◽  
Víctor López Del Amo ◽  
Enzo Mameli ◽  
Megan Lee ◽  
Alena L. Bishop ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Culex Quinquefasciatus ◽  
Technology Development ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Gene Drive ◽  
Future Technology ◽  
Drive Systems ◽  
Global Vector ◽  
Human And Animal Diseases

ABSTRACTCulex mosquitoes are a global vector for multiple human and animal diseases, including West Nile virus, lymphatic filariasis, and avian malaria, posing a constant threat to public health, livestock, companion animals, and endangered birds. While rising insecticide resistance has threatened the control of Culex mosquitoes, advances in CRISPR genome-editing tools have fostered the development of alternative genetic strategies such as gene drive systems to fight disease vectors. However, though gene-drive technology has quickly progressed in other mosquitoes, advances have been lacking in Culex. Here, we developed a Culex-specific Cas9/gRNA expression toolkit and used site-directed homology-based transgenesis to generate and validate a Culex quinquefasciatus Cas9-expressing line. We showed that gRNA scaffold variants improve transgenesis efficiency in both Culex and Drosophila and boost gene-drive performance in the fruit fly. These findings support future technology development to control Culex mosquitoes and provide valuable insight for improving these tools in other species.

scholarly journals A Survey on the Influence of CYBATHLON on the Development and Acceptance of Advanced Assistive Technologies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Thomas Meyer ◽  
Selina Weber ◽  
Lukas Jäger ◽  
Roland Sigrist ◽  
Roger Gassert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Linear Mixed Model ◽  
Technology Development ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
User Involvement ◽  
People With Disabilities ◽  
Assistive Technologies ◽  
User Centered Design ◽  
User Centered

Abstract Background: Advanced assistive technologies (AAT) aim to exploit the vast potential of technological developments made in the past decades to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities. Combining complex robotic technologies with the unique needs of people with disabilities requires a strong focus on user-centered design to ensure that the AAT appropriately addresses the daily life struggles of target users. The CYBATHLON aims to promote this mindset by empowering the AAT target users (“pilots”) to compete on race tracks that represent daily life obstacles. The objective of this work was to investigate the influence of the CYABTHALON on AAT technology development, acceptance, and user involvement (i.e., application of user-centered design).Methods: With an online survey targetting the pilots and technical leads of teams preparing for the CYBATHLON 2020 Global Edition, we investigated to what extent the pilots were involved in device development and how this influences the perceived daily life usability of the showcased AAT. Furthermore, the effects of user-centered design variables on the individual race performances were analyzed.Results: A total of 81 responses from 35 pilots and 46 technical leads were collected in the two weeks prior to the event. Of all teams partaking in the included disciplines of the CYBATHLON 2020 Global Edition, 81.8% (36 of 44) were included in the study. User-centered design appeared to be a prevalent practice among the teams, as 85.7% of all pilots reported a certain level of involvement. However, only 25.5% of the pilots reported daily life usage, despite QUEST usability scores of both respondent groups showing moderate to high satisfaction with the respected AAT across all investigated disciplines. An explorative linear mixed model indicated that daily life usage (p < 0.05) and prolonged user involvement (e.g. more than 2 years, p < 0.001) have a significant positive effect on the race performance at the competition.Conclusions: We conclude that the CYBATHLON positively fullfills its conceptual goals of promoting active participation and inclusion of people with disabilities in the design and evaluation of AAT, thereby stimulating the development of promising novel technological solutions. Also, our data could underline the value of the competition as a benchmark, highlighting remaining usability limitations or technology adoption hurdles.

scholarly journals A Strategy for Technology Development for Semi-Arid Sub-Saharan Africa

1998 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 157-161
Author(s):  
John H. Sanders ◽  
Barry I. Shapiro ◽  
Sunder Ramaswamy
Keyword(s):  
Development Strategy ◽  
Water Availability ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Technology Development ◽  
Organic Fertilizer ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Inorganic Fertilizers ◽  
Strategy Evaluation ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Semi Arid

This article proposes a strategy for agricultural technology development for semi-arid West Africa. The strategy evaluation consists of two aspects: a) a review of the successes in the region; and b) analysis with mathematical programming of the potential impacts and constraints to various new technologies tested in the region. The technology development strategy indicates how further productivity gains can be made by responding to the two principal constraints of water availability and soil fertility. These constraints must be simultaneously resolved but the strategy needs to be adapted for different soil characteristics and economic environments. The major emphasis is on the importance of the rapid introduction of inorganic fertilizers combined with techniques to increase water availability; organic and inorganic fertilizers need to be considered complements in the semi-arid regions. Farmers are already introducing labour intensive variations of these techniques in the most degraded regions. The policy concern is to encourage government policymakers to put a high priority on fertilizer and increase the availability of inorganic fertilizer while research efforts continue to develop improved methods for complementary use of organic fertilizer.

Self-Management of Daily Life Tasks for Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder Without Intellectual Disability

2021 ◽  
Vol 75 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 7512500016p1-7512500016p1
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Munsell ◽  
Wendy Coster ◽  
Gael Orsmond
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Independent Living ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Computer Adaptive Test ◽  
Life Tasks ◽  
Adolescents With Autism ◽  
Intellectual Level

Abstract Date Presented 04/13/21 The Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory–Computer Adaptive Test-ASD (PEDI): Responsibility Scale targets limitations in managing daily life tasks. Adolescents (ages 14–22) with autism spectrum disorder without intellectual disability (N = 125) performed below expectations based on their intellectual level on the PEDI. Eighty-six percent of youth demonstrated borderline or significant delays in management of life tasks. If unaddressed, this challenge may create significant barriers to success in work and independent living. Primary Author and Speaker: Elizabeth Munsell Additional Authors and Speakers: Joshua Wenig, Hannah Cooper Contributing Authors: Alexandra Gunther, Julie Russell, Jordan McNamee, and Samantha Martel

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