Thursday, March 30 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Virtually on Zoom via RESNA Learn
In January of 2022, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) [CG Docket No. 22-2] on broadband transparency. Although the Commission sought comments on a range of matters relating to improved transparency for broadband consumers, the focal conversation of this NPRM sought to understand whether it was appropriate to mandate modifications, or other general changes, to broadband label content and format.
Sound Science and Engineering is a grassroots Georgia Tech initiative with faculty members, students and other researchers from a wide range of disciplines, departments and institutes. From the technology of music to early detection of earthquakes, SSE promotes the integration of research, education, training and outreach in sound and acoustics.
The Sound Lab is a student-led make-and-measure space at Georgia Tech. Like Invention Studio, The Materials Innovation Learning Laboratory, The HIVE, Aero Studio and the Open Polymer Active Learning Laboratory, fully engaged students from any major enjoy 24/7 access to great equipment. Others with a GT affiliation, from high school intern to visiting professor, also may access the facilities and engage in any of the activities. Sound Lab supports a culture of learning, discovery, education and outreach in the science and engineering of acoustics, from music generation to sonification (assigning sounds to other physical phenomena). Students can learn and hone their skills in leadership, management, and measurement of sound and other acoustic phenomena. Members design new materials, explore sonochemistry, develop advanced electronics, perfect the art of noise cancellation, build advanced sensors and transducers, improve the quality of human-computer interaction, and study human perception of sound through artificial intelligence algorithms. Sound Lab also promotes the understanding of the social implications of sound.
Georgia Tech possesses a deep pedagogical capacity regarding issues of sound studies covering a wide array of disciplines. There is unmatched potential across the 20+ researchers in our eleven academic and supporting units.
Schools of:
• Chemistry
• Materials Science & Engineering
• Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
• Electrical & Computer Engineering
• Interactive Computing
• Psychology
• Environmental Sciences
• Civil Engineering
• Public Policy
• Institute for People and Technology
• Center for the Development and Application of Internet of Things Technologies
For further information, contact:
Gil Weinberg
Email: gilw@gatech.edu
Georgia Tech HomeLab
500 10th Street NW
Atlanta, GA 30332-0620
(404) 385-6416
HomeLab is conducting research to understand long-term trends in health and well-being among adults age 50 and above. HomeLab is also looking at how older adults adopt and use health and wellness products. By taking part in HomeLab, you can help researchers answer important questions about aging. You may also have the chance to try out cutting-edge products and provide feedback that influences product design to better meet your needs. All research will take place in your home. You will be compensated for your time and effort.
HomeLab participants may be asked to test and use products in their homes over a period of a few weeks to a few months. Designers need feedback to create products that are usable and that meet the needs of older adults. By participating in HomeLab, you will have the chance to influence the design of future products.
From time to time, HomeLab participants are asked to complete surveys about various research topics. The topics range from your experiences with different types of product packaging to general questions about your life. New surveys take place up to once a month, but you do not have to complete every survey you receive.
HomeLab recruiting reached over 550 participants at the end of 2013! If you are age 50 or above and would like to learn more about being a HomeLab participant, please visit the "Contact Us" page to get in touch.
HomeLab can provide you with an independent evaluation to clearly differentiate your product in a crowded or emerging market. We offer a variety of services to our clients, ranging from initial concept design to user testing and document preparation. Many of these services can be tailored to meet specific needs.
HomeLab can assist in:
The HomeLab team can also assist with all of the support activities necessary for research, including obtaining Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval; managing participant recruitment, scheduling, and compensation; managing and analyzing research data; and preparing study documentation.
If you would like to test a product in HomeLab or would like more information about our capabilities, please reach out to us with the information on the "Contact Us" page.
Older Adults’ Use of and Attitudes toward Activity Monitoring Technologies
Self-management of health is becoming increasingly important in today’s healthcare climate. Activity monitoring technologies have the potential to support health self-management by tracking, storing, compiling, and providing feedback about an individual’s engagement in movement activities. Older adults represent a fast growing segment of the population who may benefit from such technologies.
Older Adults' Perceptions and Use of Technology: A Novel Approach
This study investigated older adults’ perceptions of technology in their everyday lives by using the stages of change model, a behavioral change model, as a guiding framework. Participants answered daily workbook questions about their experiences with technology and also recorded daily interactions and difficulties with technology for a 28-day period.
Examining Social Media Use Among Older Adults
Social media is a powerful tool that can connect family and friends across long distances and link people with similar interests. Social media has been widely adopted by younger adults, but older adults have been less likely to use such applications. A survey of 142 older adults living in the metropolitan Atlanta area was conducted to understand the characteristics of older adults who do and do not use Facebook, a popular and widespread social media application.
Realizing Aging In Place: Bringing Medical Devices into the Home
HomeLab researchers presented a workshop on the needs and challenges of translating medical devices into the home using a systems engineering approach. Bringing medical devices into older adults’ homes can provide benefits such as supporting aging in place and reducing hospital visits and healthcare expenses.
Design Challenges in Home Health Technologies for Older Adults
This presentation provided designers of technologies targeted toward older adults with insights into the demographics and health needs of that population, and suggested methods of how to evaluate their products in a home environment. For new technologies to be successful supporting adults to age in place, two practical and actionable methods were proposed.
A Holistic Approach to Product Assurance Evaluation
In a joint presentation with the Beauty Becomes You Foundation, HomeLab researchers presented information on the Senior Select Seal, a proposed commendation program for products that are easy for older adults to use.
Balancing Abilities and Product Demands in Home Health
With increasing medical costs, an aging population, and the desire of older adults to age in place, the demand for in-home healthcare technologies is growing by leaps and bounds.
HomeLab researchers presented human factors best practices for diagnostic test design at SuperGLUE, an event designed to cultivate collaboration within the point-of-care diagnostic space.
Smart Home Study
We are looking for people to participate in a research stufy investigating home automation and home energy management. The study would involve out researchers and a professional electrician setting up the technology in your home, four months of using the technology and you would in your daily life, a brief weekly online survey, and two virtual interviews.
Click here for more information regarding our Smart Home Study
Home Technology Study - Cognitive Empowerment Program (CEP)
Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is a distinct decline in thinking, affecting up to 20% of Americans over age 64. This age group is expected to double to 88.5 million by the year 2050. Georgia Tech is partnering with Emory University to build the Cognitive Empowerment Program (http://ipat.gatech.edu/cep) to study and empower individuals with MCI and their care partners. The CEP Home Technology team is exploring the capability of home sensing technologies to drive interventions that assist individuals with MCI in achieving everyday tasks at home, while reducing burden on their care partners.
Click here for more information regarding our Cognitive Empowerment Program (CEP)
FirstNet - First Responder Network Project
In the wake of an emergency, first responders need relevant, up-to-date information about the nature of the emergency and response efforts. The First Responders team works with FirstNet (https://firstnet.gov ) to provide these resources in a uniform manner throughout the country. FirstNet recognizes that first-responders need information about nearby individuals in need of assistance and is expanding their system to accomplish this. FirstNet wants to include the needs of individuals with disabilities and first responders in this effort.
Click here for more information regarding our FirstNet - First Responder Network Project
Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx)
The Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) initiative invests in innovative technologies as a way to speed development of rapid and widely accessible COVID-19 testing. Finalist technologies will be matched with technical, business, and manufacturing experts to increase odds of success. Usability evaluations of the novel technologies will be conducted by CACP’s HomeLab, in partnership with The Atlanta Center for Microsystems Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies (ACME-POCT). These evaluations can begin at the design phase of the process and will conclude with user testing for the final product.
Click here for more information regarding our RADx initiative projects
Activity Monitor
To better understand how to support health technology acceptance and adoption, more information is needed about older adults’ attitudes and usage of such technologies. Eight participants used one of four activity monitoring technologies (Striiv, Fitbit One, Nike+ FuelBand, and MyFitnessPal.com) daily for two weeks. Participants’ initial attitudes were positive, but after using the technology for two weeks, five participants indicated they would not continue using the technology. The results suggest that efforts should focus on conveying the usefulness and personal benefits of activity monitoring technologies specific to older adults.
Aging with Mobility Impairment: Understanding Challenges in the Home
Research on aging-in-place has largely focused on how age-related limitations impact a person’s ability to live independently at home. Little attention has been paid to how aging influences the daily home activities of individuals with disability. Through an in-home interview, this study explored the home experience of aging with mobility impairment. Participants included older adults who have a mobility impairment that began prior to age 50. Specific emphasis was placed on how participants have adapted to challenges in the home (e.g., home modifications, assistive devices) and how age-related changes impact daily living activities. This research was conducted as a part of RERC TechSAge at Georgia Tech. Funded by the Department of Education (National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, H133E130037)
Behavioral Acceptance of Activity Monitors
HomeLab researchers collaborated with researchers in the Human Factors and Aging Laboratory (Georgia Tech, School of Psychology) to investigate older adults’ usage of and attitudes about two different activity tracking technologies, the Fitbit One and MyFitnessPal.com. A total of 17 HomeLab participants took part in this study. Participants used one of the two technologies for four weeks and logged their experiences in a diary. Interviews and questionnaires were conducted before and after the study to assess attitudes and experiences.
Data to Healthy Decisions (D2HD)
Nocturia, or frequent nighttime urination, can be an important indicator for other health conditions. The purpose of this study is to collect a real-world data set to support the development of analytics that yield useful information to assist practitioners in monitoring the health of individuals in their homes. A kit of minimally-intrusive sensor technologies will be deployed into participants’ homes to measure general activity levels, bathroom visits, bed presence and sleep patterns, and vital signs (heart and respiratory rate) while in bed.
Developing a Scoring Matrix to Evaluate Consumer Packaging Ease of Use
The goal of this project is to develop a scoring matrix for evaluating and quantifying the ease of use of consumer product packaging for older adults. Products will be evaluated as a function of frequency of use and the difficulty of various functional tasks required for use. The scoring matrix will enable the assessment of product packaging and determine the potential opportunity for improvement through redesign. The resulting scores can be used to prioritize redesign efforts.
Hydration Pilot Study
The goal of this pilot study was to 1) evaluate which methods of assessing hydration in older adults are best suited for the home environment and 2) provide consumer feedback on a sensor straw prototype that monitors fluid consumption in real-time. For five days, participants were asked to complete several daily tasks, such as keeping a food and beverage journal, wearing an activity tracker, providing a morning urine sample, and drinking all beverages using a sensor straw. Additionally, researchers conducted daily, in-home appointments to run various health and urinalysis tests. Each assessment was analyzed in terms of cost, time commitment, accuracy, ease of use, and comfort. Findings will be used to suggest the most appropriate methods for assessing hydration of older adults in the home. Additionally, participant feedback will be used to further the design of the hydration sensor straw.
In-Home Medication Dispenser
The goal of this research study was to investigate older adults’ use of and attitudes about an in-home medication dispenser for adhering to a fictional medication regimen. The research study was conducted in participants’ homes; eight HomeLab participants were enrolled. They interacted with the system daily for 2 weeks, completed questionnaires, and made daily diary entries. Overall, participants liked the system’s dependability in reminding them to take their fictional medications. Seven of the eight participants positively endorsed the system and indicated they would recommend it to a friend.
Packaging Survey
An online survey was conducted to understand the difficulties older adults have interacting with various types of consumer packaging and the methods they used to overcome or circumvent such issues. The interactions of interest included picking up and holding containers, removing caps and lids, opening bags and packets, and dispensing the contents of containers. Difficulties in reading labeling and packaging instructions were also investigated. The data from this survey will inform design efforts to improve packaging ease of use for older adults.
Prescription Refill Survey
The goal of this exploratory study is to assess older adults’ prescription medication refill behaviors. The intent is to capture the experience of refilling prescription medication in terms of how older adults remember to order refills, how they order and receive refills, and how they rate their experience. Emphasis will be placed on older adults’ awareness and use of various technologies and services to refill their prescription medications.
Remote Health Monitoring
HomeLab researchers collaborated with the newly-formed GTRI Health Strategic Initiative in the spring of 2013 to pilot test a new remote health monitoring system. The technology was deployed into the homes of five participants for 30 days. They interacted with the system each day to collect weight, oxygen saturation, and blood pressure data. The purpose of this research study was to collect data associated with congestive heart failure (CHF) over time to build an algorithm that can predict future health trends for individuals with CHF.
Smart Mirror
This study investigated whether an off-the-shelf digital camera could be used to detect changes in facial features. Eight participants took photos of themselves in the morning and evening for 28 days. The results indicated that the selected digital cameras were effective in capturing sufficient data; however, inconsistent lighting affected the results of the algorithm in accurately detecting the location of facial features. Future efforts will focus on refining the algorithm to account for skin tone differences, facial orientation, and inconsistent lighting. The long-term goal is to use this information to detect potential health issues based on changes in facial appearance.
Social Media Survey
A survey was conducted to understand social media use among older adults. The majority of the questions focused on the use of Facebook, a popular social media application. The preliminary results suggest that many older adults do use Facebook and that they primarily use it to stay connected with family. As adults enter into older adulthood, maintaining social connectedness may become more difficult due to mobility limitations, chronic diseases, and other age-related issues, thus decreasing physical connectedness with friends, family, and community. For these reasons, social media may begin to play a more active role in keeping this population socially connected. Therefore, understanding the factors that influence social media use in older adults is becoming more critical.
Technology Diary
This study investigated older adults’ perceptions of technology in their everyday lives. Participants answered daily workbook questions about their experiences with technology and also kept a daily diary for 28-days. Overall, older adults were positive about technology, but they did express some concerns, such as identity theft and loss of human contact. Participants cited efficiency, making life easier, and communication as reasons why they use technology and what they liked about it. Older adults do adopt and use technologies, but the value and personal relevance must be made clear to them.
Transportation & Health Care Survey
This survey was conducted to identify general barriers to community mobility for senior adults in the Metropolitan Atlanta area, and to help identify common barriers and disparities in community mobility related to access to health care services. This study also identified general behavior patterns and trends among older adults in the Atlanta area with regard to types of transportation used and frequency of use.
Voting Accessibility Survey
As the rapidly growing population of older adults in the United States begins to experience the physical and cognitive limitations that come with age, it is important to understand how this population chooses to exercise their right to vote and to participate in civic activities. This survey investigated older adults’ experiences with the voting process during the 2012 U.S. presidential election. The majority of participants (44%) voted at the polling place on Election Day, with 25% citing their motivation as “the desire to participate in a community activity.” The results suggest that polling locations and voting systems should be designed to accommodate the older adult population.
Wearable Adherence Medication System
HomeLab researchers collaborated with the Georgia Tech Bionics Laboratory (Georgia Tech, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering) to investigate older adults’ opinions about wearable health technologies. Twelve HomeLab participants (65+) completed in-home evaluations of six wearable health devices. Three of these devices were non-functioning prototypes of the Wireless Event detection and Adherence Monitoring System (WEAMS), which is a neckwear device that would have the capability to assist with managing medications, detecting falls, and tracking activities. Three commercially available devices (Jawbone UP, BodyMedia FIT and MIO Alpha), intended to be worn around the arm or wrist, were also evaluated. Participants preferred devices that were simplistic in design, discrete, lightweight, easy to take on/off, and comfortable to wear while performing tasks. The data collected from this research study will inform the design of future wearable technologies that can help older adults maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Weight Monitoring
The purpose of this pilot research study was to establish a methodology for measuring weight change over time with HomeLab participants. Technologies were deployed into the homes of eight participants for four weeks to measure daily weight, temperature, and physical activity. The data collected will be used to build a mathematical model that can predict future weight trends for individuals.
As Director of Georgia Tech HomeLab I want to personally thank you for your interest in our research. The establishment of HomeLab marks a milestone in Georgia Tech’s research portfolio to support design of consumer products and health care devices for the growing older adult population. By the year 2030, 20% of all U.S. residents will be over the age of 65. Older adults face physical, cognitive, emotional, and social changes that present innovators with opportunities to create technological solutions that can support aging in place and independence.
Our mission is to understand the needs and desires of this growing population and to assist innovative companies in meeting their goals by providing a direct connection to laboratory and in-home testing resources. Since 2011, HomeLab has been providing innovators with an independent testing facility capable of evaluating the safety, efficacy, effectiveness, usability, and accessibility of products that promote independent living. Our methods allow us to go beyond what is available through typical in-lab testing by placing products in the homes of actual users. By evaluating products in their appropriate context over an extended period, true performance characteristics emerge.
If you are an innovator and want to better understand how users interact with your product, I hope you will consider HomeLab for your product evaluation needs.
Thank you again for your interest,
Dr. Brad Fain
Director of Georgia Tech HomeLab
Since 2000, researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute have been working to apply testing and evaluation principles derived from years of experience developing user interface solutions for military customers to consumer product design.
The Accessibility Evaluation Methodology (AEM) was developed to facilitate the measurement of the accessibility and usability of office products such as copiers, fax machines, and computers in response to the publication of the technical requirements for Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. The AEM is a human performance-based assessment methodology that allows evaluators to directly compare the accessibility of similar products. This work eventually led to the development of the Accessibility Assistant, an information resource that supports the design and procurement of accessible products and services.
GTRI researchers later developed a similar test methodology for the Arthritis Foundation, the Arthritis Society of Canada, Arthritis Australia, and Arthritis New Zealand and began quantifying ease of use of consumer products. Over 500 consumer products of all types have been tested for ease of use, impacting the design of products worldwide. The Ease of Use Assistant, an information resource that supports the design of easy to use consumer products and services, presents usability knowledge gleaned from several years of product testing.
GTRI’s work with users with arthritis enabled the creation of Arthritis Simulation Gloves, a tool that simulates the reduction in functional capabilities experienced by individuals with arthritis, and enables designers to gain insight into how arthritis affects a user’s interaction with products.
Georgia Tech’s HomeLab initiative provides the capability to conduct in-home research that supports the development of innovative technologies that promote health, wellness, and independence for older adults. HomeLab brings together a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers and a community of older adults interested in participating in research.
HomeLab clients gain access to a wide variety of laboratory and in-home testing resources, including a network of older adult participants and a team of researchers with expertise to evaluate products designed for older adults living at home. HomeLab provides an independent testing facility capable of evaluating the safety, efficacy, effectiveness, usability, and accessibility of products that promote independent living.
HomeLab participants take part in research that answers important questions about aging. Participants may also have the chance to use new products and provide feedback that influences the design of those products. Participants are compensated for their time.
