Future AAL systems
Brussels 20 November 2013 – The first workshop on future-proof AAL systems “from visionary use cases to standardised integration profiles” took place on 19 November 2013 in Brussels. 31 participants from AAL Joint Programme projects and other organisations attended this event. The workshop discussed how modularity and interoperability in AAL systems can be achieved.
The event opened with an invited keynote by Harald Klaus (Deutsche Telekom Laboratories) introducing the interoperability challenges from the viewpoint of an industrial stakeholder. He stressed that AAL consists of two main components: technology and services. To make AAL cost-efficient and commercially viable, a master plan is needed, including technical integration and interoperability as well as the development of integrated business models. The workshop organisers then presented an overview of the visionary use cases that are the starting point for most AAL projects, and introduced a methodology for formalising such use cases into modular design guidelines called “integration profiles”. At this time, more than 230 use cases have been collected and clustered into six major thematic domains corresponding to the call topics of the AAL Joint Programme. Using the example of behaviour monitoring, a typical use case for AAL systems intended to provide unobtrusive monitoring of older adults with mental decline or early forms of dementia, the structure of an integration profile was presented from the high-level overview to the mapping of individual system interfaces to communication standards, in order to achieve a modular architecture. The workshop closed with a “speakers’ corner” where participants could discuss their experiences and problems related to standards and interoperability in AAL.
What’s next?
The second workshop on future-proof AAL systems will take place on 19 February 2014 as part of the two-day workshop “Interoperability Days – Managing AAL Complexity through Support for Interoperability” (MACSI 2014) taking place on 19 and 20 February 2014 in Brussels, co-organised by the AAL Joint Programme, and the projects universAAL, ENGAGED and ReAAL.
AAL Joint Programme project participants are eligible to a reimbursement of their travel costs if they participate to the “supply-side” track that includes the second workshop on future-proof AAL systems. At registration, make sure that you mark the “AAL JP participant” check-box and state the name of your AAL JP project.
Participation to the workshop is free, but the number of seats is limited, so register quickly, click here