Assistive technologies at home and in the workplace—a field of research for exercise science and human movement science

While motor control and learning, physical activity, mobility or exercise hardly appear in the focus of the current AAL-research frameworks, these and other topics of human movement and exercise sciences still are an implicit part of many research projects. From a motor control and mobility point of view, aims as staying independent, preventing falls and the need of care are not imaginable without one's own movements and physical activity. Therefore, exercise and human movement science should consider joining the already existing and ongoing initiatives.

The demographic development obviously affects the occupational domain. While the percentage of older employees grows in European countries, the employment rate in the 55- to 64-year-old population was 41.7 % in 2003. The European Union has set a target rate at 50 % by 2013, which means an increase of 8.3 % within 10 years ([11], p. 362; numbers refer to the EU15 countries). Furthermore, the prolongation of working lifetime requires many people to work in older age.

From the point of view of human factors and ergonomics ([8], p. 381), the work environment should fit human needs. This relates both to the work performance and the well-being. The latter also is considered as an important influence on work performance. This is particularly true for older humans, who experience changes in the sensory and physiological status. The number of accidents at work is not higher as in younger age groups, while inactive periods due to accidents last longer. Certainly, there are decreases in several physical, visual and cognitive abilities like short-term memory. On the other hand, Dul et al. [8] list mental growth (strategic thinking, language skills, motivation, commitment, work expertise) and some aspects of social capabilities (ability to adjust their behaviour) on the positive side (see also [11]).

In order to solve the demographic challenge, Ilmarinen and colleagues ([11], p. 363) propose to target four directions: (1) to change the attitudes towards ageing, (2) to increase the knowledge level of managers in age-related issues, (3) to improve age-adjusted and flexible working life and (4) to adjust health care service in meeting the increasing needs of older workers. Consequently, a special ageing management on company level should be introduced, in order to analyse workstations, attitudes and other human factors. The aim is to prolong healthy and productive work life in face of regulations comprising later retirement in several countries.

Until now, the growing demand for such management activities is barely reflected in the literature. McDermott and colleagues [13] searched several databases (Web of Science, PsycInfo, PubMed, Ergonomic Abstracts) in order to compile a review on workplace interventions targeting the elderly workforce and published from the year 2000 on. Since only six papers were found (published between 2004 and 2007), they widened their search to interventions which were general in their audience but could be useful in particular for the elderly. Another 15 papers were found.

While technology may be used in all of these topics, we focus on adjusted working space with regard to movements and training in the following section.

In production, the use of assistive systems has a long tradition since it has always been in the best interest of companies to maximize the workers' performance. Combined with computer-based systems for Enterprise–Resource–Planning (ERP) or computer-aided process planning, they helped to make work in production more transparent, aiming to reach a “Digital Factory”. However, the humans themselves have always been an obstacle for the Digital Factory, being neither programmable nor predictable in their actions. Since 2011 new motion sensors like the Kinect allow what, until recently, required costly multi-camera setups, wearable sensors and powerful hardware: human body tracking in real time and without markers [18].

While older employees often excel in knowledge and experience, they tend to suffer from a gradual reduction of short-term memory [2], resulting in a decrease of learning abilities [17] and an increase of human errors in manual production tasks. This requires workplace adjustments and the design of adequate user interactions [15]. When designing for elderly workers in production environments, human–computer interaction has to become more natural and user centred. Like the anti-lock braking system used in cars, the system should stay in the background most of the time and only intervene as soon as an error occurs. Process-oriented assistive systems for production environments use motion sensors to monitor the worker's task. However, they are not connected to the enterprise data networks like ERP—instead, the sensitive data are only used to discretely augment problems of senior workers like decreasing short-term memory by reacting immediately in the context where the error occurs.

From context-sensitive interaction, it is only one logical step to Natural Interaction (NI)—another upcoming trend in human–computer interaction (HCI). Instead of just watching or observing the user's actions, in NI, the user actively interacts with the system, e. g. by pointing towards a specific part or simply by nodding. By using the un-augmented human body as a controller, NI offers a simple and direct way of interaction that requires little training. From a user-centred approach, we felt a great potential in implementing NI for exercises, especially for older adults who need accessible interfaces. Designing for accessibility prevents the problem that “a badly designed interface might unnecessarily create a population of users who are ‘disabled’ with respect to that system so designers have a responsibility not to marginalize atypical users” [12]—and the use of basic body movements and gestures as a means of HCI probably allows the most intuitive form of interaction possible, “disabling” the least amount of potential users.

A possible interventional approach using NI in exercise science is the prevention of overweight and balance problems which reduce the overall performance and frequently cause accidents in working environments. Using only a motion tracking system and a monitor, the acting senior's body movements can be tracked and analysed in real time, also allowing real-time qualified feedback created by an evaluation software. While Kinect-based sport solutions already are available in the entertainment industry, they fail to address older users. However, if designed according to the restrictions and preferences of the elderly, a combination of elements from gaming like high scores and achievements with real-time feedback can become a powerful tool to motivate elderly users and protect them from accidents at the same time.

From an exercise science point of view, the systemic integration of NI into interventions for the elderly requires three main tasks [5]: first, a training target and physical exercises must be conceptualized. Second, volume and intensity of the training have to be determined, including adaptations for different performance levels and progression rules (scalability). Third, the criteria of movement quality have to be defined for monitoring and decision making.

The present introduction should give some hints for research demands and also invites submissions to EURAPA. New motion sensors allowing for human body tracking in real time and without markers should stimulate research on practical solutions for both the elderly at home and in working environments.

Practical information on this assistive approach can be found through the “Ambient Assisted Living Joint Programme (AAL JP)”, which “is to enhance the quality of life of older people and strengthen the industrial base in Europe through the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)” [1]. Another EU-based resource is the “European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing” [9].