Living assistance systems: An ambient intelligence approach

In this paper, we present an integrated system concept for the living assistance domain based on ambient intelligence technology and discuss the resulting challenges for the software engineering discipline. Automated living assistance systems represent a promising approach for the prolongation of an independent and self-conducted life of handicapped and elderly people thereby, enhancing their quality of life and minimizing the need for manual social/medical care. It is demonstrated that living assistance systems must realize flexibility and adaptability at the algorithmic, architectural and human interface level to an extent unknown in present systems. The construction of robust, trustworthy living assistance systems is an extremely challenging task and requires novel approaches for dependable self-adapting software architectures, resource efficiency, and self-adapting multi-modal human-computer interfaces. The resulting consequences and challenges for the discipline of software engineering are outlined in this paper.