Collaboration SIG

Spring 2007 Internet2 Member Meeting Arlington, VA

Tuesday, April 24, 2007 7:15-8:45am

Attendee list Spring 2007

20 people attended

Moderator: Gurcharan Khanna, RIT (Welcome and Introduction)

Magic Minute for each attendee

Presenters:

KEARNS ABSTRACT: Information and computing technologies (ICT) have undergone extraordinary increases in the past 5 years. Computational systems penetrate every facet of the built environment, e.g., clothing, furnishings, personal items, transportation and home environmental control and security. Increasingly, these embedded systems are integrated into large wired and wireless networks of devices which may extend over international boundaries. High bandwidth networked applications in development include multipoint videoconferencing using multicast IPv6 protocols, Telepresence, virtual reality simulations and remote sensing for gathering data in built environments.

As ICT finds its way into homes worldwide, enhanced technological services for the elderly develop including nutritional monitoring, safety and security, mental health and healthcare, environmental control, and communications. In this paper we describe different international networks serving the academic community, realizing that today's academic networks are poised to inform the public's computer networks of tomorrow. International networks promise more uniform care standards for the elderly, increase the opportunity for collaboration among researchers and educators tackling the difficult problems associated with aging, including dementia, heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Networks have the promise of enhancing outcomes by maximizing economies of scale by collecting research observations from multiple international venues. New educational approaches to addressing the challenges of aging include virtual reality applications which simulate the impact of aging on young individuals. Monitoring individuals in their homes using ICT and computer networks can impose significant responsibilities upon governing agencies.

Keywords: Gerontechnology, Internet evolution, Gerontechnology services