EXECUTIVE SUMMARY


Something more discreet may be a better solution, it was voiced. The vast majority, however, did find the device useful and simple to use and 66 per cent found it reasonably attractive. But, when it came to whether or not people would pay for the solution, 80 per cent said only perhaps or no. The session ended on a positive


note for 2PCS, when it was pointed out that in five years everyone will have an interactive watch like the Apple Watch and will be happy and familiar with interacting with a watch. “It will be normal behaviour.” The VIRTASK project offered the


most extreme indication that being an attractive product that people like is not always a guarantee that people will want to pay for it. VIRTASK consists of a range of avatars on screens that respond to voice, facial expressions and gestures and offer a variety of services designed to help the


older person in the home – prompting when medication is due to be taken, suggesting meals and suggesting activities, for example. It also can carry out day-to-day chores, automatically drawing curtains and switching lights on and off. A variety of avatars have been designed for different markets. Anne, for example, is blonde and has blue eyes and has been specifically designed for the Dutch market and is on sale for the basic package at €1,500 euro. The team is looking for a subscription option, too. In the voting, the majority of


users found the avatar both useful and attractive, but when it came to whether or not they would buy it, most were un-persuaded with 30 per cent saying no. The session ended with a lively


debate about the conclusions to be drawn. It was agreed that a good


variety of projects had been put forward, displaying a great deal of creativity and good ideas being put into practice. And from that, we should conclude that older people will want different things – a wide variety of products will be needed and not every one of them will tick every box for every older person. In terms of user interaction, it was


agreed that as we are all potential users, we all need to join the discussion about what we need, what we want and what we are prepared to pay for. People, however, seem loath to


pay for the products, which was one of the more interesting conclusions. People are interested in the ideas and the theories, but they are slow to see the need to pay. “We need to change this,” said one delegate. “If we want a good quality of life, we have to pay. We are going to have to invest into our old age.”


to make the solution much more simple to use than you would ever imagine yourself. What we find easy to use is a huge thing for people with dementia. So the need to simplify the solution maybe four or five times during development has been our biggest learning curve. And even then, when we think we have simplified it enough, we go back and it is still too complicated. It is always somewhat of a dilemma


when you are developing new technologies or new applications for technology because you are with the front runners and when the solution actually goes to market, that’s another couple of years. But we now have a new generation of elderly who are much more familiar with technology and all the devices we have around us so it will be interesting to see if they actually start using the solutions we are developing.


One clear point that is emerging


is that people seem quite happy to consider certain technologies when they don’t have to pay for them, but as soon as they realise it would cost money, they make it clear they don’t want it. This has everything to do with needing the products. When people don’t actually need the product right then, they look


“It would have been nice if more elderly people were there so we could get feedback”


at it and say, ‘no, I wouldn’t pay for that’. I didn’t want to pay for online storage space two years ago because I didn’t need it. Now I get a message from Google that my storage is full, so what would you like to do; find another solution or pay me some money? Of course, I pay them because now I need it and it’s more convenient. I think it’s the same with these solutions – when people need them, they will pay for them. It’s the same with privacy issues. There is always a lot of talk about privacy when discussing this technology. We have done some research into this issue with our customers and they see privacy as something you trade. So if you need help, you trade in a little privacy and they don’t see a problem with this. So, as with all these things, you really


need to talk to the actual client who wants to use your product. It is these people who will give you the valuable information you need in this market.


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