September 2016

An idea that took root in a nursing home in Belgium and developed into a smart system that allows the housebound to cycle the world has just won the very first AAL Smart Ageing Challenge Prize – and a cheque for €50,000. Jan and Roel Smolders of Activ84Health Explorer picked up the major European award at a glittering ceremony held at the AAL Forum 2016 in St Gallen, Switzerland, a long way from Witte Meren, the nursing home Jan runs in Belgium and where the idea was born. They are now looking to take the product into nursing homes around Europe. The idea emerged when Jan was looking for a way to keep his residents physically active in a safe,...Read More

    The AAL’s Hackathon for Ageing Well has been taking place over the past two days, with several groups coming together and working late into the night to develop ideas, prototypes and products that meet some of the the many and varied challenges faced by the older person in today’s society. The winning idea will be announced at the AAL Forum on Wednesday, but we spoke to Hackathon organiser Oleg Lavrovski at the event itself about hackathons, ageing well and some of the ideas he has seen over the event so far.        

  Visit the exhibition at this year’s AAL Forum The exhibition space at the forum this year will be alive with new projects, new ideas and new faces.  Eye-catching demonstrations and poster presentations from some of the world’s most prestigious research institutions and exciting SMEs are sure to provide everyone in St.Gallen with a taste of the very best of AAL technology. Find out more about the exhibitors at this year’s event.   

The AAL Smart Ageing Challenge Prize is awarding a €50,000 top prize for the best Internet of Things (IoT) innovation that enables older people to achieve the best possible quality of life, socially and independently. From a huge entry of close to 200 applicants, the field has been whittled down to five top finalists. At 11am on Wednesday morning at this year’s forum, following a keynote from Keith Baker of Philips on the potential of IoT to defend people against the onset of cognitive impairment, the top five finalists will present their prototypes, after which the overall winner of the competition will be announced. Read on to find out more about the top five finalists. Can you pick the winner?   Alzhup The first service of...Read More

At this year’s forum we want to create a vibrant interactive event, building on the creativity and the commitment of the AAL community. During the forum we want to explore the different factors that influence the availability of AAL technologies and solutions in Europe.  The interactive workshops have been divided into six themes that will act as the pillars of the AAL Forum 2016. Find out out more about the individual workshops that will be taking place this year by clicking on the individual theme pictures.   From AAL solution to market success Technological solutions that enhance quality of life for older adults are at the heart of the AAL Programme. Behind every solution is an AAL project, each of which must travel...Read More

The AAL Forum will be joining forces with the Agile Ageing Alliance (AAA) and the European Commission on Wednesday, September 28 to present Neighbourhoods of the Future, a fact finding Roadshow, which has been touring Europe over the past six months. Neighbourhoods of the Future has been bringing together a variety of influential stakeholders from the digital, construction, health/social care, finance, security and 3rd sectors to discuss the development of innovative new-build and retrofit home environments specifically designed to empower the ageing population to live more meaningful, connected lives. According to AAA founder Ian Spero, who chaired last year’s AAL Forum in Ghent : “The Roadshow is a European Commission initiative which aims to gather consensus from stakeholders working across...Read More

A new international network launched to bridge the gap between research and market-ready innovation A new living lab designed for AAL projects is being launched at the AAL Forum 2016. The IBH Living Lab AAL is a new international network of universities, social services and technology providers who are collaborating to facilitate active and assisted living for people who feel excluded from social and economic life due to physical or psychological restraints associated with ageing. The group is looking to assist these people by developing individually customised ambient technologies designed to support and enhance the work of professional and informal carers.    The IBH Living Lab AAL will offer a holistic infrastructure for research and development in the area of...Read More

AAL Smart Ageing Challenge Prize Finalists – Anne. Anne: Your personal assistant The caring face of the Internet of Things Anne is a virtual personal assistant developed in the Netherlands, who uses the power of the internet to help care for the elderly at home. Now, the friendly computer face that is able to hold a conversation, carry out simple commands and remind you to do certain tasks like call your family, has been nominated for a major award, funded by the EU, for the most innovative system that uses the Internet of Things (IoT). The prestigious award is the first ever Active and Assisted Living (AAL) Smart Ageing Challenge Prize, which is awarding €50,000 for the best product or...Read More