Making Movement

The academic year 20/21 has challenged the CARIAD researchers to think about how we can introduce more inclusive ways for creative collaboration through the use of digital media and video conferencing.

With more organisations now open for collaborating remotely, we have been consulting with expert stakeholders in the care sector to consider how to improve levels of physical activity for older people, primarily in residential care settings.

Making Movement, funded by Cardiff Met Global Academies, has emerged through this collaboration.  The project brings together an experienced multidisciplinary team of researchers from CARIAD and the Cardiff School of Sport and Health Sciences, led by Professor Diane Crone early career researchers, stakeholder organisations and representatives from patient groups. Our goal is to develop sensory enriched technologies that encourage people to move in meaningful and healthy ways. Although average life-span is ten years longer than for previous generations, these years are often lived in poor health (Centre for Ageing Better 2019). There is an urgent need to find ways to support people to ‘live well’ into older age. Research has evidenced the benefits of exercise and detrimental effect on health and wellbeing of loneliness and social isolation.

Over the course of 2021 we will be working on gathering data through creative activities that will help to refine the scope and goals of the research; provide clarity about the context for the study and its limitations; develop a network of potential organisations who can recruit participants who are ‘experts by experience’ (older people; people living with disability, dementia etc.) and scope potential pathways for impact and routes for dissemination.

Movementis: Brain, Body, Cognition. Oxford, 2017

 

Wendy presented two papers at the inaugural Movementis Conference at the Oxford University Examination Rooms in July. The first, “Somability: movement, independence and social engagement for adults with complex needs” reported on the design process and results of Somability, an interactive arts project that aimed to make movement irresistible. The second paper, co-authored with Lise Hansen, “Dancing in data: Representation, repetition and recreation” described our most recent work that examines the potential of computer vision and machine learning to generate novel person-centred, choreographic techniques for processing kinesthetic sensory stimuli. Although the conference had a scientific bias, both papers received positive feedback from those who appreciated the need for a “human” approach to movement research.

NAS Autism and Technology

This one-day conference brought a diverse range of speakers and delegates together to share research, practical experiences and ideas for technological innovation. Jamie and Lion set the tone for understanding the impact of technology in day-to-day living – for communication, work and leisure.

Our talk offered a journey through our experiences of developing software, focusing on Attention, Perception, Feedback, Repetition and Flow. We used this opportunity to launch the first release of Somatopia, which aims to bridge the gap between genuine innovation and end users who are disenfranchised through perceptions of disability and lack of resources (human and technological).

We hope that by making the software, code and instructions for designing Somatopia apps available to download, Somatopia will appeal to enthusiasts with expert knowledge, and those who enjoy making and tinkering with technology. See more on the Somatopia page.

Noah’s Ark at artsdepot

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We had a great time co-designing interactive artworks with young people from the Noah’s Ark children’s hospice at artsdepot. Using the fabulously accessible Touch Boardfrom Bare Conductive. The participants collaborated in teams to bring their favourite things to life by adding their own sounds to drawings. The culmination of the workshop was a set of paper-prototype “happiness machines” that included tickling, laughter, jokes, music and other references to the things in life that make us happy.

Somability finalist in Accolade Awards

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We are thrilled to announce that following interviews with the judges we reported on in a recent blog, Somability is one for three finalists in the “Better outcomes through working together” category of the 2015 Accolade Awards. Today the film crew interviewed staff and service users at Rhondda Cynon Taf, Gadlys Learning Curve in preparation for the Awards ceremony at Cardiff City Hall on Thursday, 18 June.

Somatopia lab

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First ever Cariad Interactive Somatopia Lab in Cardiff FabLab. Four teachers, two pupils and a technical demonstrator joined us for a rich mix of acting, moving, paper prototyping and storyboarding based on five Somatopia themes. Everyone set up their own Raspberry Pi, Pi camera and microphone and learnt how to use openframeworks to create a range of interactions triggered by sound and motion. The best part was getting to work up some of the ideas that emerged for learning some basic code.

Somability ready for release

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After many months of design and development with our friends at Rhondda Cynon Taf, Somability version one is now free for you to download. At this stage we are offering a Windows version which needs a Kinect camera.

To download the Somability for Windows click here and to download the Installation and Usage Instructions right click here and choose “Save As”.