Smart Homes - An Intelligent Answer to Healthcare Challenges
From: University of Ulster - 05/12/2006

Northern Ireland is gearing up for the fourth International Conference on
Smart Homes & Health Telematics, which is being hosted by the University of
Ulster. Scheduled for June 26-28, ICOST2006 will have a technological focus
on intelligent environments, personal robotics and smart wheelchairs,
cognitive devices, wearable sensors, medical data collection and processing,
and home networks. However, the event will also cover non-technical issues
related to smart homes that have a wider societal impact, such as privacy and
security. Northern Ireland has a growing aging population, and University of
Ulster computer science senior lecturer Maurice Mulvenna believes the health
care industry should find ICOST2006 to be particularly informative. Smart
homes can provide older people and those with disabilities with an
opportunity to continue to live outside of health care facilities, but remain
connected to their families, friends, and their health care support system in
a secure environment. "Smart homes offer these kinds of facilities while
promoting and maintaining the functional independence of aging people through
automation," says ICOST2006 Chairman Dr. Chris Nugent. "Functions like
turning heating on or off, which in turn can promote cost savings to those
with limited energy budgets."  

Read the entire article at:
http://www.ulster.ac.uk/news/releases/2006/2196.html

ICOST2006
http://www.icost2006.ulster.ac.uk/index.htm

Maurice Mulvenna
http://www2.ulster.ac.uk/staff/md.mulvenna.html

Chris Nugent
http://www.ebdgroup.com/biomed_central/speakers.htm