Computer Science faculty members Carl Chang and Johnny Wong together with 13 ISU graduate students representing six nationalities (China, India, Iran, Korea, Sri Lanka and US) visited the Northcrest Community, a retirement community in Ames, Iowa. These students are participating in various projects for COM S/Geron 514 “Gerontechnology in the Smart Home Environments” in the fall semester.
The visit helped them understand how technology has been used in such communities, how the residents appreciate the availability of technological solutions to ease their daily routine, and problems and obstacles that may arise from engaging various technologies. Not surprisingly technology alone is not the panacea while complex factors such as individual background, personal preferences, affordable life style, etc. are oftentimes the deciding factors.