ASP projects

GoAAL: NEA Going towards solutions for Ambient Assisted Living

The aim of the GoAAL project is to increase the degree of independent living of disabled persons, in particular with motor impairments. The concept of Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) implies the use of innovative ICT-based products, services and systems for disabled people to increase the quality of life and the social inclusion, with the advantage of reducing the costs of health and social care.
From the cooperation with Niguarda Spinal Unit and the observation of patients while interacting with the environment, we realized that the elevators accessibility was a critical issue in this facility. Therefore, we decided to propose a solution in order to improve the access to lifts even for quadriplegics, who face the hardest physical limitations. The most suitable solution consisted of a vocal-controlled elevator system, implemented through a smartphone/tablet application we named Lift Me App.
Lift me app is meant to receive vocal commands regarding each of the functions incorporated in a normal elevator, while working in parallel with the usual button-panel, and to send them via Bluetooth. In the physical prototype, data are sent to an Arduino board, which is connected to a reproduction of an elevator-button panel, where some icons are enlightened according to the vocal command. Moreover, special security considerations are included in order to guarantee the safety of the patient inside the elevator.
Other than the APP, we focused on improving the indications inside the structure of Niguarda Spinal Unit in terms of intuitiveness and readability for users on wheelchairs and also their visitors. The result was a color and symbol legenda to map spaces and further renderings of the possible future elevators for Niguarda Spinal Unit.
Finally, we also carried out a cost analysis for the implementation of all the previous solutions inside the building of Spinal Unit, with the hope that it will be considered by the hospital for a potential future realization.

Principal academic tutor
Fabio Salice, Politecnico di Milano – Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering

Academic tutors
Fulvio Corno, Politecnico di Torino – Department of Control and Computer Engineering
Sara Comai, Politecnico di Milano – Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering
Carlo Ferraresi, Politecnico di Torino – Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

External institutions
Ledha
Fondazione Asphi
SO.LA.RE
E-Lysis
Softime Informatica

External tutors
Marco Rasconi, Ledha Milano and UILDM
Mario Bellomo, Fondazione Asphi
Maria Assunta Peluso, SO.LA.RE
Carlo Mario Moroni, E-Lysis
Maurizio Boieri, Softime Informatica
Paolo Vaccari, Auxilia

Team members
Juan Camilo Avendano Diaz, Biomedical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano
Gianmarco Ciorra, Mechanical Engineerin, Politecnico di Torino
Giacomo Cuspidi [Communication coordinator], Biomedical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano
Federica Giraudi, Engineering and Management, Politecnico di Torino
Andrea Mortera, Biomedical Engineering, Politecnico di Torino
Riccardo Musetti [Team controller], Management Engineering, Politecnico di Milano
Lidia Palladino, Management Engineering, Politecnico di Milano
Gelila Seifu, Electronic Engineering, Politecnico di Torino
Ludovica Zengiaro, Product Design, Politecnico di Milano

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