The Human Factor in the Design of Successful Ambient Assisted Living Technologies

The increasing incidence of ageing population in modern societies challenges the ability of families, states and communities to sustain new emerging needs. Assistive devices can help older people to maintain their ability in performing activities of daily living and, therefore, their independence. However, despite the huge public and private investments and efforts in research and development, the so-called silver market has not been able to grow at the expected pace: many barriers stand in the way leading from prototypes to products, especially when the target is an inhomogeneous group, as elderly people, and an explicit understanding of users, their needs, expectations and limitations, is not accounted for during the design process. This Chapter discusses the basic role of the human centric approach in the design of assistive technologies, and, by analyzing the outcomes of previous experiences, provides a set of guidelines that can help transforming a disruptive prototype into a successful product.