Team: Bhavyasree Rallapalli, Isha Wadhavkar, Emily Cao, Muskaan Dhadwal
Start Date: Aug 2023 - Dec 2023
IoT | UX Artifact | Ubiquitous Computing | Product Design | User Research
Life for seniors can sometimes feel like a fading masterpiece, the vibrant colors slowly replaced by the muted tones of routine and isolation. In a constantly evolving world, our elderly face unique challenges, and the joy that once filled their hearts can become a distant memory, we introduce Ava, a personal robot helper created keeping in mind the unique needs of the people who helped build our society.
Value Proposition
<aside> 📣 Ava is a smart, non-intrusive personal robot that assists and enhances the daily life of senior citizens who live independently by maintaining their dignity and autonomy while keeping their loved ones assured of their safety and security.
</aside>
Our inspiration for Ava stems from deeply personal experiences and a shared empathy and interest in senior health and support that unites all team members, most of whom are international students. These personal experiences motivated us to create a system to support our families living far away.
During the investigative phase of our research, we conducted a contextual inquiry. We aimed to gauge user interest in the proposed product and identify key problem areas to address. Following in-depth interviews and subsequent discussions on our findings, a unanimous consensus emerged, prompting us to embrace this opportunity as the focal point for our project.
Our participant pool comprised 5 individuals strategically selected across 3 distinct categories:
This diverse recruitment approach ensured a comprehensive perspective, incorporating insights from both end-users and those closely connected to them. The concept received widespread praise from all participants, validating our belief in its potential and significant scope.