Customization of e-textile sensory tools for people with dementia

Abstract

Sensory activities are used to increase social engagement for people with dementia, who may struggle to participate in activities due to deteriorating cognitive functions. Sensory tools are used but these can be inappropriate since they are not designed for people with dementia. This paper details the design of an e-textile sensory tool for people with dementia, with stakeholders in Mainland China. The concept, a sensory wall, was derived from a previous co-design project in Hong Kong. However, the design context differs, and this work highlights barriers to implementing co-design in sensory tool design. Instead, this project took a collaborative customization approach. This paper describes the design processes and evaluations for the first and second sensory wall, with context on dementia care in Mainland China. This paper highlights considerations in the design of a sensory tool for people with dementia, and the benefits of stakeholder engagement in sensory tool design.

Keywords:

• E-textiles
• dementia
• sensory tool
• participatory design
• customization
• co-design

Acknowledgements

We also wish to extend our thanks to all of the staff who took part in the interviews, to Feng Guang Wen for his invaluable technical support and Wong Wang Wah for his support in weaving.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This project was made possible by a collaborative research grant (Project ID: P0033638) from New World Group – Humansa, for which we are grateful.

Notes on contributors

Jeanne Tan

Jeanne Tan is Associate Professor at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Assistant Director of AiDLab. Her research interests include intelligent material design, interactive textiles for well-being, hybrid design processes and smart wearables.

Amy Chen

Amy Chen is a PhD candidate at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Her research uses knit structures to produce illuminated textiles and textiles-based sensors.

Li Shao

Li Shao is a PhD student at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Her work applies artificial intelligence to interactive textiles systems to enable advanced functionality.

Heeyoung Kim

Heeyoung Kim’s research focuses on co-designing interactive textiles for people with dementia. Her work investigates the potential for interactive textiles for multi-sensory stimulation.

Lan Ge

Lan Ge’s research work experiments with woven structures, polymeric optical fibre and conductive material to explore the design potential of interactive textiles.