Designing a Demonstrative Smart Home Environment in Slovenia for People with Disabilities and Elderly

The percentage of elderly and people with disabilities is increasing; consequently the demand for an independent living is gaining importance. This article focuses on the threefold composition that consists of automation, multimedia and assistive technology components. Based on studies of specific users’ needs and best practice, a design for a demonstrative Slovenian smart home environment is presented. We propose an improved concept, where three evident segments are presented: automation segment, connecting segment (gateway) and the Internet segment. Furthermore we present the architecture of the concept, where the elements of automation are defined, integrated with the assistive technologies and services, based on the broadband Internet connection. The aim of the designed smart home environment is to introduce new possibilities of better quality of life and the level of independence to the potential users in Slovenia, provided by the combined modern technologies, above all, the information and communication technologies. With the demonstrative smart home we plan to promote and increase e-inclusion of people with disabilities and elderly into the information society.