A Cyber Secured IoT: Fostering Smart Living and Safety of Fragile Individuals in Intelligent Environments

Due to better living conditions and progress in medicine older adults today are the main group of population in terms of growing speed. Furthermore, together with disabled people, they represent the most frail category of individuals. Indeed, they are likely to present different constellations of impairments (both at physical and cognitive level). Older adults and individuals with disabilities strongly benefit from being properly assisted or from prolonging their individual autonomy. Such interventions can be implemented levering on the IoT technologies. The present paper describes a project that aims at providing older and disabled people with smart buildings that will be equipped with IoT technologies, e.g., environmental and wearable sensors. The identification of such technologies will be based on co-design activities that will focus on their accessibility and usability. Concurrent laboratory tests will be carried out to assess the best methodologies of wireless communication between the smart devices. These ambient-assisted living tools will be installed in two real-world scenarios, i.e., a nursing home and a co-housing solution. Such tools will facilitate older and disabled people in carrying out daily activities, ensuring their safety and privacy protection. The outcomes of the project will provide pivotal information on how to improve human living in different environmental contexts.