The PhD research of Yuan Feng focuses on promoting the well-being of a vulnerable population in our society – people with dementia – using interactive technologies. Collaborating with the Vitalis Berckelhof, a Dutch residential care for elderly with and without dementia located in Eindhoven, Feng gave clients living there a way to relive the pasts and get closer to outdoor nature through simulated sensory experiences with rich interaction possibilities.
Technology is crucial for enabling care delivery and supporting the independent living of people with dementia. However, with the majority of innovative solutions focusing on safety issues and caregiver well-being, there is a huge gap where technology-empowered solutions are needed to directly engage people with dementia, especially those in more advanced stages of dementia.
In care facilities such as Vitalis Berckelhof, people are looking for new ways to promote the psychosocial well-being of clients to address their aim of highest quality of care. With the inspiration of augmented reality for immersive multisensory experience and social robot development, Feng’s research identified a way to meaningfully engage those with dementia and make a positive change for this extraordinary group of users.