Portfolio of Herjan Van Den Heuvel

2013–2015: 3-year innovation project at Smart Homes.

Goal: Design and test an intelligent environment, smartphone app and telepresence robot to support and connect older adults, family and professional caregivers.

Process: Interviews, focus groups, user evaluations with early prototypes, videos, redesigns, and an extensive 1-year evaluation study with 40 families in 4 countries.

Results: First 3 iterations have been finished. In 2015, the long-term evaluation study has started. See my demo video or visit victoryahome.eu. In April/May 2015, Discovery Channel aired a short documentary on my project.

2010–2013: 3-year research & innovation project at Smart Homes.

Goal: Design and evaluation of a social robot and intelligent home to provide health and wellbeing services to older adults and their family.

Process: User-centred design, including observations, diary studies, concept generation, wireframing, prototyping, and extensive pilots in controlled environments and people’s own homes.

Results: Several iterations of prototypes have been tested with end-users and their caregivers. See the final demo video.

2009–2012: 4-year research & innovation project at Smart Homes.

Goal: Designing, developing, and testing a social companion robot and ambient intelligent environment to support people with MCI or early dementia.

Process: Early prototyping, early user evaluations through Wizard-of-Oz studies, and several rounds of redesigns and extensive user tests with a fully working prototype.

Results: A fully working prototype and very positive responses from end users and their carers. For more info, see the video or visit smart-homes.nl.