Ludic Artefacts: Using Gesture and Haptics (LAUGH) to support subjective wellbeing of people with dementia

LAUGH项目建立在申请人以前的AHRC资助的研究调查手工艺，玩耍和福祉以及OPAN和HEFCW资助的老龄化研究的基础上。英国Co-I将为该项目带来关于触觉和痴呆症的研究记录，以及国际Co-I在技术，手工艺和健康方面的研究记录。该项目将得到威尔士国家产品设计和研究中心的支持，该中心在设计研究和产品开发方面拥有丰富的经验。该项目提出了一项关于痴呆症的手工艺和游戏性的调查，以告知ludic人工制品（适合年龄的玩具）的发展，以支持痴呆症患者（PwD）的福祉。我们的目标是开发创新的游戏设备，娱乐，分散注意力，舒适，参与，带来欢乐，并促进“在当下”的生活。这项研究正好回应世界卫生组织及八国痴呆症高峰会议的呼吁，呼吁国际间合作，以应付人口老化的全球挑战。许多长者喜欢从事创意活动及消闲活动，包括编织、钩针编织、痴呆症患者可能能够继续练习早年学习的手工艺技能;然而，依赖认知功能的结构和制作规则的记忆可能会下降。例如，PwD可能继续能够在编织时形成针脚，但不再能够遵循编织模式;尽管认知退化，但制作，肌肉记忆和情感记忆系统的节奏似乎仍然保留。这项调查将研究如何使用手，节奏和手势在传统的手工活动中发现可以用来通知好玩的人工制品的发展。其目的是设计新的有趣的设备，以娱乐和刺激痴呆症患者，并为他们带来欢乐，乐趣和笑声。该研究将调查手工制作如何促进积极情绪;确定尽管PwD认知下降但仍保留的手工技能，并研究触觉，手势和感官刺激对晚年主观幸福感的贡献方式。从事护理工作的人提倡使用儿童玩具，并观察到它们给痴呆症患者带来的安慰。然而，专业人士承认，残疾人玩儿童玩具是一种耻辱。这主要是由于亲属和朋友认为丧失了尊严，而不是痴呆症患者本身。申请人先前的研究结果表明，目前需要专门为痴呆症患者设计的适合年龄的游戏装置。该项目提出了包容性的参与式设计研究，以告知新类型的游戏设备的开发。这些将在社会积极看待的工艺和爱好活动与不积极看待的玩具之间建立桥梁。将开发有趣的人工制品，以支持那些由于记忆丧失或认知障碍而生活受限的人的福祉。该研究将探讨如何将智能材料和数字技术整合到设计中，以补充物理和材料特性。它建议探索增加传统手工艺活动的新方法，以提供额外的感官和交流特性。这将使PwD能够独立或社交地与设备进行交互，并提供个性化体验的机会（例如，通过包括家庭照片或最喜欢的音乐）。通过集成电子和传感器，将开发适合年龄的新型玩具的设计。根据研究结果，将提出一个为PwD设计游戏设备的工具包，以告知设计界和在该领域工作的护理专业人员

The LAUGH project builds on the applicant's previous AHRC funded research investigating handcraft, playfulness and wellbeing and OPAN and HEFCW funded research into ageing. The UK Co-I will bring to the project track record of research concerning haptics and dementia and the International Co-I in technology, handcraft and wellbeing. The project will be supported by Wales' National Centre for Product Design and Research, which has extensive experience in design research and product development. This project proposes an investigation into handcraft and playfulness in relation to dementia in order to inform the development of ludic artefacts (age appropriate toys) to support the wellbeing of people with dementia (PwD). The aim is to develop innovative playful devices that amuse, distract, comfort, engage, bring joy, and promote 'in the moment' living. The proposed research is timely as it addresses the call by the World Health Organisation and the G8 Dementia Summit for international collaboration in order to address the global challenge of the ageing population.Many older people enjoy creative pursuits and leisure activities that involve making and crafting such as knitting, crochet, woodcraft and DIY etc. People with dementia may be able to continue to practice craft skills learnt earlier in life; however memory of the structure and rules of making, reliant on cognitive function, may decline. For example PwD may continue to be able to form the stitches when knitting but can no longer follow a knitting pattern; the rhythms of making, muscle memory and emotional memory systems appear to be retained despite cognitive degeneration. This investigation will examine ways in which hand use, rhythms and gestures found in traditional handcrafting activities can be used to inform the development of playful artefacts. The intention will be to design new playful devices to amuse and stimulate people with dementia and bring them joy, fun and laughter. The research will investigate how handcrafting promotes positive emotion; identify the manual skills that are retained despite cognitive decline in PwD and examine the ways in which haptics, gesture and sensory stimulation contribute to subjective wellbeing in later life. Those in the caring professions advocate the use of children's toys and have observed the comfort they bring to people with dementia. However there is an acknowledgment by professionals of the stigma attached to PwD playing with children's toys. This is attributed to a perceived loss of dignity, mainly by relatives and friends, rather than the person with dementia themselves. Findings from the applicant's previous research indicate there is currently a need for age appropriate playful devices specifically designed for people with dementia. This project proposes inclusive participatory design research to inform the development of new kinds of playful devices. These will build bridges between craft and hobby activities that are perceived positively by society and toys that are not. Playful artefacts will be developed to support the wellbeing of those for whom life has become limited due to memory loss or cognitive impairment. The research will investigate ways of integrating smart materials and digital technology into designs to supplement physical and material properties. It proposes to explore new ways of augmenting traditional craft activities to provide additional sensory and communication properties. This will make it possible for PwD to interact with the devices either independently or socially and provide opportunities to personalise the experience (for example by including family photographs or favourite music). By integrating electronics and sensors, designs for new types of age appropriate toys will be developed. A toolkit for designing playful devices for PwD will be proposed, based on the findings from the research, in order to inform the design community and care professionals working in the sector