The Centre for Usable Home Technology (CUHTec) at the University of York
- conducts world-class interdisciplinary research to understand what people want from the technology in their homes;
- offers leading edge training, consultancy, and events.
CUHTec research
Too many technologies and services are developed without considering the actual needs of real users. That is why we start with users. Our research is to understand their needs thoroughly and then to use this understanding to devise new technologies that can help.
CUHTec researchers come from the Computer Science, Psychology, Electronics and Sociology departments at the University of York. CUHTec researchers work in close collaboration with users, especially older and disabled people.
CUHTec training, consultancy, events and information resources
CUHTec courses are informed by our research into home technologies and telecare. They are for service development and strategy managers, operational staff and others with responsibility for telecare service planning, delivery or commissioning.
CUHTec regional telecare forums are an opportunity to share best practice with fellow professionals. CUHTec also provides consultancy and runs conferences.
Click on "Not a member?" in the navigation to the left of this page to register your organisation as a member of CUHTec. Member organisations can nominate up to five employees to receive our quarterly news sheet as well as notification of courses, events and regional telecare forums.
An example of our research
The following picture explains the Net Neighbours Service. This was the result of collaboration between some researchers funded by EPRSC and Age Concern York.
- 1. A volunteer telephones for a chat once a week, has a chat, and orders the shopping they need
- 2. The supermarket deliver the shopping
- 3. Age Concern York, administer the service collecting the money and reimbursing the volunteer
Research, in the form of interviews with older people and people who look after them, identified shopping as a real problem for people with mobility problems, also, that, for some, shopping was an important opportunity for human contact.
The researchers adapted procedures from Computer Science to the design of a reliable service whereby a volunteer can ring up an older person once a week, have a chat and order their groceries for them on-line.
The service is now up and running, providing shopping and social contact for older people in the York area.
