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The launch of the AAL engAGE project
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Press release
AAL engAGE project launch
Wednesday, 12.01.2022, the launch meeting of the European project Active and Assisted Living (AAL) engAGE (Managing cognitive decline through theater therapy, Artificial intelligence and social robots driven interventions) took place. engAGE is a European project with a total budget of around 2 million euros coordinated by the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca. The consortium consists of 6 partners from 4 countries:- Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania (coordinator)
- IRIS Robotics, Romania
- Tellu AS, Norway
- Karde AS, Norway
- University Hospitals of Geneva,
- Switzerland IRCCS INRCA, Italy
The engAGE project in brief
Originally considered a normal effect of aging, mild cognitive impairment is a syndrome that affects older adults (and not only), causing changes and decline in their cognitive abilities. To manage such negative effects on well-being and health, there is a great need for innovative ICT technologies that engage, support and guide older adults in training cognitive function in a highly personalized manner, taking into account their cognitive status, preferences and desires.
The goal of the engAGE project is to combat and slow the progression of cognitive decline, enhance the intrinsic capacity of users and support the well-being of older adults with mild cognitive impairment by providing an ecosystem of services that integrates:
(1) holistic monitoring of ability to perform activities of daily living and well-being using IoT devices,
(2) machine learning to detect potential cognitive decline and
(3) interventions led by social robots using coaching and cognitive stimulation.
Interventions will be made by involving older adults (and their carers) in drama and storytelling by sharing narratives of lived events and memories or through dialogue and dramatic role play. Theater and storytelling can improve quality of life and well-being by enabling older adults to preserve their identity, reduce stress, memory loss or communication challenges. To bring the envisioned innovative system to market, a co-creation development methodology involving over 200 end-users, such as older adults with mild cognitive impairment, family caregivers and healthcare professionals, will be adopted. The evaluation trials will be organized and conducted by the University Hospitals of Geneva in Switzerland, Karde AS in Norway and the National Institute for Elderly Care in Italy.
Contact Dr. Ionut Anghel ionut.anghel@cs.utcluj.ro +40723353899 engAGE Coordinator
