Almost all countries are challenged by the aging demographics, as well as by issues that arise during the changes that often come later in life. Digital ecosystems are being developed to ease or remove the burdens of things such as changing homes, living with a new health condition, adapting to a new living environment, transitioning from working to retirement and so on. These digital systems, also called Active Assisted Living (AAL) systems, are very diverse, and include technologies such as smart homes, robotic systems, tele-health, tele-care monitoring, self-care technologies and community services and environments. The AAL ecosystems for the life-course include both the technologies and all the decision makers and people affected by the technologies. The new and emerging systems are pushing boundaries to answer the needs of an aging population in their wish to stay connected, social, independent, as well as to age with more dignity and enjoyment.

However, there are many challenges involved in developing these types of systems. Developing and deploying innovative multi-stakeholder systems for an emerging, not yet fully explored, social change is a major challenge. Growing older, being old and belonging to a demographic group can all mean different things at different times. Older people’s abilities, their life experience, the cultural and social infrastructures that surround them are all diverse. Furthermore, older people may face some sort of physical, sensory or cognitive limitations associated with the biological ageing process. The market for AAL systems and technologies is not yet well enough established to deal with all of these complexities.

This Special Thematic Session (STS) is following up with our previous calls (AAL Forum 2018, ICCHP 2018 & 2022) and aims to create a forum to discuss the major issues related to assistive and inclusive technologies for older people. Our aim is to define the changing role of the technologies within the changing context and perceptions of ageing.

AAL for Individuals and Communities:

• Emerging social needs and their reflection in AAL products
• Designing for the new norms after Covid-19 (independence vs. interdependence)
• New and emerging digital artifacts, environments and technologies
• AAL in a fast-changing world (health, finance, education)

AAL at Scale:

• Cities, governmental services
• Public services, smart cities and support to leave home to participate in societal life
• Citizen centric digital systems
• Mobility services, including the automotive sector
• Hospitals, care homes, day care and therapy centers
• Social environments (restaurants, event spaces...)

Social Challenges and Opportunities for AAL systems:

• Ageism, sexism and race issues in AAL
• Getting it right: ethics, legal aspects, security and privacy
• Impact assessment
• Development and evaluation with older participants
• Broader societal impact, and business models for inclusive AAL services

AAL across borders:

• Rural, urban and other diversities
• Cross-cultural experiences and mobility (migration, relocation)
• Low cost AAL: rethinking AAL business models for low income geographies

Chairs

• 
  Jean Hallewell Haslwanter, TU Vienna, University for Applied Sciences Upper Austria
• 
  Özge Subasi, Media and Visual Arts, Koc University Istanbul
• 
  Paul Panek, Technical University Vienna