A Smart Home for All Supported by User and Context Adaptation

Abstract

Homes are becoming increasingly smarter, enabling us to control their smart appliances and devices, as well as obtain relevant information on the home. However, accessibility in smart homes for all is still a challenge, with information being presented in the same way to the different users and in distinct contexts. If the interaction is not adapted to the user, certain citizens (e.g., children, and older/impaired people) can be excluded from exploiting the full potential of smart homes. Furthermore, without adaptation to the context, interaction becomes more difficult in some situations (e.g., noisy or low-light environments). With the aim of enhancing smart home accessibility, we propose a solution for adapting the information presented during interaction with the home to the user's characteristics, capabilities and preferences, as well as to the context, namely the environment's noise and luminosity, and user distance.