The LiveNature installation offers people with dementia a way to relive the past and get closer to nature through simulated sensory experiences with rich interaction possibilities.
Starting a new life in a place you have not deliberately chosen is a difficult choice for both people with dementia and their loved ones. In care facilities such as the Vitalis Berckelhof (Vitalis) located in Eindhoven, people are looking for new ways to ensure the comfort and happiness of clients to address their aim of “Highest Quality of Care”.
New innovative designs to provide leisure activities are in great need to keep residents living there to feel energized and happy. A cute pet is a great option, as it can activate people with dementia and keep residents’ companions on a daily basis. However, a real animal would distract care staff with extra workload, attention, and related safety hazards. Therefore, Feng and the design team offered people living there a relaxing closer to nature experience through simulated animal petting with a robotic animal and accompanied by responsive context using an augmented reality display mounted on the wall. The 87-inch ultra-high definition screen display shows the dynamic video content of a grass field with a herd of sheep to simulate a window outlook experience of typical Dutch farm scenery. And the dynamic context was responsive, as residents’ interaction with the robot triggers not only the robot’s motion and sound feedback but also the display’s visual-audio responses. The LiveNature design hopes to bring a soothing feeling to clients living in Vitalis and benefit both the residents and their loved ones with a cheerful moment during their day.
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