Towards an acceptance model for AAL

Abstract

As one of the major goals in the ambient assisted living project Casa Vecchia (performed in 20 real world household installations) we want to thoroughly evaluate the life circumstances of elderly people in order to be able to establish a basic ontology including all relevant factors that are actually or potentially influencing the acceptance of AAL technology. A prototype system enabling the participants to observe automated features of an AAL system as well as to perform basic interaction and communication tasks was installed. Periodic evaluation cycles that were accompanying the project which were based on a customized mix of methods and concepts frequently discussed and applied in the context of AAL research. The main concepts used are the technology acceptance model (TAM), contextual design and the analysis of social networks. The project is still up and running, but first results could already be achieved which show a different access to technology between men and women. © 2013 Springer-Verlag.