In this section, we have presented various constituent technologies of the iGenda, starting with the multi-agent concept and their architecture. Then, the devices that can be used are discussed and, finally, the learning and intelligence attributes are introduced. The combination of these concepts result in user-oriented services, providing continued assistance in their daily tasks.
The multi-agent systems assure the construction of agent platforms in which each agent has different features and, therefore, different actions. The JADE agents exchange information between them, collaborating towards the same goal. The separation of features (or tasks) comes of a more flexible and fault proof system. By being threaded, each agent is an individual application and solely cares on its performance, being the agent platform responsible for the maintenance. Moreover, the agents can act over information in different ways, being able to process more information and extract more knowledge at the same time. It leads to more complex behaviors.
The sensors when properly combined with mobile computing systems can provide real-time information about the user health status, creating an efficient monitoring system. The BAN concept is recent but there are great advances in this field. Ensuring that devices used to collect and process information are reliable and meet the usability standards, serves as a basis for future application implementations in monitoring systems.
This type of solutions impacts on both health services and the daily life of a person. This balance is difficult to achieve, and with the proliferation of BAN's and subsequent services, it was composed as a viable goal, providing gains in each area. Health services goal is saving resources by freeing resources for other patients like beds, and releasing the clinical staff for other tasks. For the patient, the freedom allowed by the sensors to carry out their usual activities, and to release him/her from the hospital environment, where there is little human interaction and he/she is at risk for hospital infections.
Finally, the importance of intelligence in this type of projects is discussed. Drawing a parallel between the system and human beings, they learn every day from little things to great events. This shapes the knowledge according to his/her preferences. Moreover, it is very difficult to follow the human being preferences as they have certain vices and established preferences (such as favorite color or sport club). In addition, they have constant changes in preferences (comfortable room temperature, amount of light), but not to mention social relationships.
Going to the digital world, it results in a complex knowledge base with a large amount of single interactions and intricate connections between them. But, with help of learning and logic systems, the interactions can be provided with “importance”, that is, what is really important to the user and how to achieve it. We therefore defend the adoption of artificial intelligence concepts in AmI. Their contribution is essential and the features they present push forward an area that was soon to become stagnate.
It is in our view that artificial intelligence was the missing part, and its inclusion was imperative. Static systems only provide solutions that have solely one propose, and do not change over time, meaning that eventually the solution will become obsolete. The artificial intelligence can provide, trough learning systems, more guided responses and adapt to the user changes, being updated at all times.
All of these technologies are then working for a common goal: providing the user with a better, more interesting, and more active life.
5 iGenda: Cognitive Assistant
People, mainly older ones, suffer from something that silently limits them: forgetfulness. The lack of memory is something related to all human beings, some with greater incidence than others. So, with ageing, it happens more frequently being able to reach extreme cases as the Alzheimer's stage. The scientific community has determined that it is not yet possible to heal this loss of memory, being the best alternative exercising the mind with specific exercises and recalling past activities and events.
Technology can be a good assistant in terms of the availability and support it can provide, revealing itself as a platform for multitudes of services aimed to people. Recently, projects more oriented to the user were developed. In that way, services specifically designed to address user problems and personality, are provided. Indeed, entities like the European Union (EU) begin to realize that the human
development to be used by ordinary people. Therefore, the EU supports projects that develop technological applications to assist people in need. For that, scientific community establishes the application core in people. So, they lay the foundations of the advancement and construction of future applications that use services as standards for community use.
These developments are part of ongoing efforts that have recently proliferated, giving birth to an AAL evolution. So, new areas of development emerge, stating as goal the delivery of applications that assist people in their daily routine. In addition, it outweighs the common flaws to propose easy and achievable solutions. The AAL applications that care for the user memory and abilities are called Cognitive Assistants. They help the user by providing suggestions about tasks and different tools to help the user do his/her tasks (Costa et al., 2012a; Costa et al., 2011b; Costa & Novais, 2012b; Gomes et al., 2010;
Carneiro et al., 2010).
Cognitive Assistants Cognitive Assistants Cognitive Assistants Cognitive Assistants
As abovementioned, Cognitive Assistants (CA) are a relatively new concept, in which each approach may be quite distinct from the others. In short, the CA can be guidance systems, several procedures for an activity or photo album reviewers. Essentially, they are focused on people and their disabilities, providing the tools that best fit them. This also opens the door to a concept usually disregarded offering personalization. The AAL has been prolific in providing solutions to assist the user. However, the personalization has not been widely addressed. In the case of CA, it is a theme that should be essential since each person is different. Therefore, “one size fits all” type of solution is unacceptable. In fact, adding all the nuances of possible users is necessary to have a good customization system to properly respond to users' expectations. The interfaces, amount and types of warning notices, are just a small sample of essential services and which should correspond to the best user’s interests.
The iGenda is user-centered since it provides services that intelligently help to achieve tasks or recall an activity plan. For that, it takes constant contact with the user social sphere. Collaboration with other people is essential for helping them to be active and connected. The key issue is creating interest and relevance, even when people are not physically present. This fact also enables active participation in monitoring user’s health, given that it provides the current state to user relatives, alerting them and enabling to participate in the user’s recovery.
On the way to achieve all these features, it is clear that the iGenda must be composed of a multitude of