IKIGAI
Basic information
Project Title
Full project title
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Project Description
Nowadays, according to official UN reports, dementia affects around 50 million people worldwide and, each year, near 10 million new cases are reported. Ikigai is an intelligent mirror focused on delaying and minimizing cognitive, psychological and behavioural symptoms of users with dementias through realizing a daily customized routines. It wants to help people, principally, with early and middle dementia stages to introspect and reconnect with their essence: present, memories, tastes,abilities.
Geographical Scope
Project Region
Urban or rural issues
Physical or other transformations
EU Programme or fund
Which funds
Description of the project
Summary
Ikigai is an intelligent mirror focused on helping people, principally, with early and middle dementia stages to introspect and reconnect with their essence. Through recovering and reunifying small parts of themselves such as the present, memories, tastes, abilities and knowledge.
HOW?
Routines
Ikigai has a morning and night routine focused on delaying and minimizing cognitive and psychological and behavioural symptoms of dementias.
The morning routine consists of 4 exercises that stimulate to recognize the present, memories, tastes, skills and knowledge of the person. In the night, there is a relaxation activity to go to sleep.
Exercices
The exercises start in the morning and night only when the user comes closer to Ikigai and is distinguished by the facial recognition system. The rest of the day, it becomes a traditional mirror.
During the assistance, Ikigai helps users to concentrate on themselves surrounding their faces with an oval shape light.
The activities can be monitored and configured through a smartphone, always with the consent and customized for the person who has dementia. Also, the exercises can be changed throughout time according to the new preferences, necessities or symptoms of the user.
The mirror works on two of the three symptoms’ groups of dementias:
- Cognitive:alteration of memory, executive functions, learning, concentration and attention, aphasia, auditory and visual agnosia.
- Psychological and behavioural:depression, apathy, anxiety and sleep disturbance.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
The design is aligned to seven SDG of the United Nations agenda 2030. On one hand, it wants to empower, treat and foment personal autonomy and well-being of people who live with dementias. On the other hand, it wants to be sustainable through eco-strategies.
Goal3: Good health and wellbeing
Goal5: Gender equality
Goal10: Reduced inequalities
Goal12: Responsible production and consume
Goal13:Climate action
Goal14:Life below water
Goal15:Life on land
Key objectives for sustainability
Ikigai wants to be environmentally sustainable through the adoption of green, blue and circular economy models. It can be exemplary in this context because this proposal is aligned with 7 of the 17 sustainable development goals of the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations and applies several sustainable strategies at all stages of the life cycle.
Materials (goal 12 and 15)In this stage, these goals are achieved through using recycled stainless steel for the mirror's frame that come from production waste. Recycled metals can minimize the extraction of raw materials, require less energy to obtain it and provide several lives to the used material. In addition, stainless steel can avoid paint finishes because it is corrosion resistant. Therefore, it is less harmful for the biodiversity and it contributes to a more responsible production and consumption.
Manufacturing and distribution (goal 13)These phases are addressed through the production, assembly, sale and repair of products locally and the design of a flat packaging, in order to reduce the transport used and its impact. Nowadays, according to UNECE reports, CO2 emissions of transportation supposes a 23% of the worldwide total.
Use (Goal 10,3 and 5)
In terms of affordability, Ikigai can be bought or hired in order to be reasonable for different budgets.
In terms of inclusion and accessibility, on one hand, these customized exercises focused on dementia can help people who live with it to have their own space to introspect. Also, assist the families and caregivers with the treatments. Improving their quality life and well-being of all the users.
On the other hand, Ikigai can be customized for other profiles. For example, it can also complement the psychological treatments of victims of gender inequalities through specific exercises focused on gaining confidence...
End of life (goal 14 and 15)
The product can be reusable, repairable, up-gradable, recyclable and detachable. Also, the packaging is biodegradable.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
The key objectives of the physical aesthetics of design and the digital experience are, on the one hand, to focus all the user’s attention on themselves, on their reflection, and on remembering their interior or essence. On the other hand, implement eco-design strategies throughout the life cycle to maximize the sustainability of the product.
Physical Aesthetics
The physical aesthetics of the mirror are minimalist to cover the two main objectives: the attention and sustainability.
First, in order to minimize user distractions, in relation to colors, textures and shapes. Ikigai has a subtle stainless steel perimetral structure. It is smooth and preserves the natural color of this metal.
Also, inside the mirror, there are some LEDs that form an oval around the face of the user in order to help user to focus their attention on themselves and indicate the progress of activities.
Secondly, it is completely detachable and easy to recycle and repair its components thanks to the use of a single material for the structure and bracket unions. In addition, these strategies lengthens the life of Ikigai and/or of some of its parts.
Digital experience
The experience is designed to be adapted to three different users. It is developed through the mirror and through an application.
The mirror
The mirror experience is fully personalized for the primary user, the person living with dementia. The activities developed are chosen taking into account their preferences, tastes, situation, symptoms and the advice of the professionals who are treating them.
The application
The app is designed for professionals and the inner circle of the person suffering from dementia. This application can be used mainly to configure activities. In addition, it can monitor the results and evolution of the main user to provide information about each activity. This assessment can always be made with the consent of the person suffering from dementia.
Key objectives for inclusion
Ikigai’s key goals in terms of inclusion are equal opportunities, accessibility, affordability, co-designed treatments, the well-being of people living with dementias and creating a community.
Equal opportunities
Ikigai wants to promote equal opportunities by providing daily routines to address the different symbiosis of dementias and improve the daily lives of its users.
Well-being
It also wants to reach well-being through working on personal autonomy and training users to do the exercises alone.
Accessibility
The virtual mirror experience is designed to be very easy to use through facial and voice recognition. The user just needs to be in front of the mirror and talk to him.
The application interface experience is adapted to a non-specialist audience in order to be easy to use for the patient’s inner circle.
Affordability
The mirror wants to be affordable for a wide range of budgets. For this reason, there are different ways to get this product: a purchase, a rental and a second-hand model.
Co-designed treatments
The mirror can facilitate the establishment of treatments by providing different results of exercises and taking into account user preferences, professional advice and family observations.
Community
In the future, the application can have a blog or an area to create a community to share experiences, knowledge and receive support from different families or professionals.
This concept can be exemplary because it has different plans for many budgets, provide an intimate experience for the main user to do introspection and perform autonomously different exercises, give the opportunity to co-design each exercise, help family and professionals with patient assessment and treatment and create a community.
Physical or other transformations
Innovative character
Ikigai’s design and ideation was made by combining and taking into account inclusion, sustainability and aesthetics. The main reasons are the general objectives of this project: to help the community of people living with dementias and generate the minimum negative impact on the planet.
These three dimensions would be combined as follows in these two main parts of the project.
Application
The treatment will be co-designed and customized for each patient through an application compatible with all smartphones. Always, taking into account the preferences, background and symbology of each patient, the professional advice and the observations of the inner circle.
The results will be accessible and adapted to a non-professional audience in order to be easy to understand for the family and friends of the person living with dementia.
Mirror
Through having a minimal design, on the one hand, the mirror will provide an empowering experience, promote personal autonomy, help focus user attention and perform a treatment for dementias. On the other hand, this minimalist design will help align Ikigai with the different SDG and minimize its impact at every stage of its life cycle: using recycled materials, being detachable, upgradeable, recyclable, reusable...
