The Center for Innovation, Technology and Aging (CITA)

Abstract

Purpose: USF has awarded $1 million in seed funding to an interdisciplinary team led by Professors Yu Sun (Computer Science and Engineering), William Haley (Aging Studies), Tammy Allen (Psychology), and Hariom Yadav (Neurosurgery & Brain Repair) to establish The Center for Innovation, Technology, and Aging (CITA). This center, which includes 37 faculty members from seven colleges, aims to transform care for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD), and other vulnerable older adults with disabilities due to other conditions such as Parkinson's disease and stroke. Since most older adults with disabilities are cared for in the community by family members, there will be a strong emphasis on using technology to assist family members in effectively providing care, diminishing caregiver burden, and enabling caregivers to continue other important roles in their lives such as employment. As part of a full spectrum approach, CITA also aims to address the needs of the caregiving workforce.  Method: CITA uses a Data, Models, Modules, and Solutions Hub to generate personalized solutions for individual caregivers based on patients’ health/medical record, and their home living conditions (Figure 1). The solution is built with modules of three Pillars: monitoring, intervention, and assistive technologies. The monitoring pillar focuses on modules using AI models and unobtrusive sensing technologies to monitor physical and mental conditions, dietary habits, behaviors, etc. to facilitate early detection and intervention, while upholding the highest standards of privacy and data security. The intervention pillar focuses modules that employ reinforcement learning agents and generative models through multi-media, extended reality (XR), robots, and smart devices to provide interventions such as mitigating patients’ agitation and aggression, preventing wandering and handling emergencies. The assistance pillar focuses on modules that use optimization, AI, and robotics technologies to enhance caregivers’ physical and cognitive capabilities, assist them in high-demanding activities, and alleviate their burden and stress. Results and Discussion: Previous research often concentrates on a single module within one pillar. CITA will adopt a holistic and systems-based strategy to develop innovative monitoring, intervention, and assistive technologies, enabling safe and cost-effective at-home care and high-quality personalized care for people with ADRD and other disabilities. By bringing together expertise from multiple disciplines, the initiative addresses the complex needs of people with ADRD and their caregivers, integrating diverse perspectives and methodologies to enhance research outcomes. CITA will advance understanding of ADRD care and push the boundaries of AI and robotics technologies. The center’s innovations are expected to significantly improve the lives of those with ADRD, benefiting caregivers, families, and society at large.