Adapting to the Age of Ageing

Today The National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB) launches ‘Adapting to the Age of Ageing’, a collection of #collaboration case studies that show how UK universities and businesses are working together to tackle the challenges of our ageing population. Researchers at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s (UWTSD) ATiC Assistive Technologies Innovation Centre collaborated with Swansea-based filmmakers eHealth Digital Media Ltd on a project which allowed them to literally see the world through the eyes of someone living with dementia.

The innovative Seeing Dementia Through Their Eyes: Living with Dementia project involved research by the ATiC team over a period of just over a year to inform a series of 10 new films from eHealth Digital Media Ltd.

The films, about the daily lives and challenges of people living with dementia, focus on delivering support, training, and education for dementia patients, their families, carers, and healthcare professionals.

The project used advanced UX and human behavioural research tools, such as eye-tracking and facial expression recognition technology, in the creation and evaluation of the films.

The ATiC team worked closely with eHealth Digital Media’s Creative Director, Kimberley Littlemore, whose parents received a dementia diagnosis. Cameras were set up around the parents’ home to keep track of their daily lives.

Additionally, the couple used wearable eye-tracking glasses while performing household activities, so the team could ‘see the world through their eyes.’ This footage helped the team to detect and understand any patterns and triggers over time and to pick out key moments, which could be analysed and discussed further by clinicians and academics in the field.

Tim Stokes, ATiC Innovation Fellow and project lead, said: “It all sounds highly technical but at the heart of it all, it simply involves understanding people. Understanding how they interact with each other, understanding their needs, and helping to develop the best health and well-being products, services, and systems – placing people at the heart of the research.

“Initially this project began life as a simple experiment that sprang from the idea of Kimberley wanting ‘to see dementia through her parents’ eyes’ – and we were literally able to help her do that by using our eye tracking glasses. It has helped us to understand how people with dementia live and understand what types of challenges they face on a daily basis.”

Further Information

Rebecca Davies

Executive Press and Media Relations Officer    
Corporate Communications and PR    
Email: rebecca.davies@uwtsd.ac.uk    
Phone: 07384 467071