Galaxy Summer of Code Projects & interfaces for elderly project

[Andrew Leahy]

Hi, we have 5 keen students and mentors about to kick off their Google Summer of Code Projects under the Liquid Galaxy Project umbrella.

You can see all projects at https://summerofcode.withgoogle.com/organizations/4705487372156928/

The GSoC program runs from now until late August. Andreu Ibanez (Lleida Galaxy Lab) and I are organisers for Liquid Galaxy GSoC this year. We're asking the mentors and students to post intros and updates to their projects to THIS liquid-galaxy list. So let me introduce the project I'll be mentoring.

With Natalie Monger from USC Viterbi we'll be investigating ideas for physical interfaces to Google Earth and Street View for the elderly.

Why? Since the middle of 2016 I've been involved in an Australian research project that uses the Liquid Galaxy platform as a reminiscence therapy in residential aged-care. We're calling it Virtual Reminiscence Therapy (VRT). I'll post a bit more about this when our promo video has been released, here's a teaser...

Currently the VRT sessions require a skilled Space Navigator "driver", and we're using a fairly basic (but also complex!) tablet interface to select locations in Peruse-a-Rue (Street View on Galaxy). I'd like to see the care staff and the elderly participants be able to control the system themselves in some way. Doesn't need to be full control, but if we can give them some sort of agency over what comes up on the screens it would be a good start. We most likely won't focus on 6DOF flight, which takes a good fine motor skills and lots of practice!

I'm hoping we can come up with some 'fun' interface options, like selecting a country using a physical globe, or paging through a photo album. We may dabble with bluetooth Daydream controller maybe hidden inside a teddy bear or other stuffed animal. The first few weeks will brainstorming ideas and figuring out how we might build some prototypes.
 

If you have suggestions for accessible interfaces for the elderly we'd love you to share them with us!

Cheers, Andrew

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Andrew (Alf) Leahy | Wonderama Lab | Western Sydney University | a.l...@westernsydney.edu.au

[Natalie Monger]

Hi everyone, 

I'm Natalie, the student dev for this project. Nice to meet you all! Please let me know if you have any additional suggestions/ideas. 

Thanks, 

Natalie