We propose to develop a general task prompting and reminding system that runs on an ordinary cell phone for persons with cognitive disabilities. The system will use information from a variety of sensors to determine the user's activity and context, so that prompts are less disruptive and more appropriate. The proposed development builds up research at the University of Rochester on human activity recognition from sensor data, commercial development at Attention Control Systems on handheld prompting systems for individuals with impaired executive function, and work at the University of Washington on technology supports for persons with cognitive disabilities. The system will be the first general task prompting and reminding system that can provide context- dependent prompts, assistance with task re-scheduling, and be adaptable to a variety of different activities of daily living. In our preliminary work, we created a proof-of-concept prototype that demonstrated that sensor information from touch and motion sensors could be communicated to the handheld system and used to infer when the user performs common activities such as meal preparation, and that this activity information can be used to modify scheduled prompts. For example, the system would suppress the prompt for the user to begin meal preparation if the system recognizes that the user has already begun that activity. Our proposed development will make the system so robust, general, and easy to use that it could be evaluated in trials with real users in ordinary home environments. Our proposed effort includes a needs assessment with potential users and caregivers, development of the system interfaces for the users and caregivers as well as making the system's reasoning software more general and robust, and initial short and longer term small group evaluations of usability and effectiveness. The final system will provide a tool for investigating many research questions on the ability of technology to support independence by persons with cognitive disabilities.
We propose to develop a general task prompting and reminding system that runs on an ordinary cell phone for persons with cognitive disabilities. The system will use information from a variety of sensors to determine the user's activity and context, so that prompts are less disruptive and more appropriate. This system will provide a tool for investigating many research questions on the ability of technology to support independence by persons with cognitive disabilities.
