Cáritas Coimbra participated in the kick-off meeting of the project Toilet4me
On December 3 and 4, Cáritas Coimbra was in Vienna, represented by Carina Dantas, Ana Jegundo and Flávia Rodrigues from the Innovation Department, to participate in the kick-off meeting of the project Toilet4me.
The Toilet4me project aims to build on the results of an earlier project, iToilet, which had as its main challenge the creation of a smart bathroom, suitable for the older public, in a residential version. In this context, an evaluation will be made to create an adapted solution for the use of toilets in public and semi-public spaces. This project uses technologies that allow voice interaction to, for example, lift the seat, as well as a stand and sit aid system. It also has a functionality of emergency detection and emergency call.
It was thought for these people, but also for all others that have disabilities and certain needs when using toilets outside home, in public or semi-public environments.
On the first day of work, all the partners participating in the project were presented. Cáritas Coimbra made its presentation by announcing the institution and making an appreciation of the projects in which it was involved in the last years. An assessment of the potentialities of the project and of the target audience was also made.
In the second day of the meeting a parallel work was carried out between groups, one representing the end users of the project, and other where the business plan was worked out.
The consortium of this project involves eight entities from several countries and from the areas of business, research and social economy. The project coordinator is TU Wien (University of Technology of Vienna) and the remaining partners are CareCenter Software – Austria; Cáritas Coimbra, Insituto Pedro Nunes and Ihcare – Portugal; Resto VanHarte and Sanmedi – The Netherlands and BEIA Consult International – Romania.
As a response to the demographic challenges of a rapidly ageing European population, twenty-two countries, in partnership with the European Commission, set up, in 2008, the Ambient Assisted Living Programme (AAL JP). This project is financed under the AAL programme, with the Portuguese funding being provided through the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia that coordinates the national participation.
