COVID-19 has impacted not only the health of citizens, but also the various factors that make up our society, living environments, and ecosystems. This pandemic has shown that future living will need to be agile and flexible to adapt to the various changes in needs of societal populations. Digital technology has played an integral role during COVID-19, assisting various sectors of the community, and demonstrating that smart cities can provide opportunities to respond to many future societal challenges. In the decades ahead, the rise in aging populations will be one of these challenges, and one in which the needs and requirements between demographic cohorts will vary greatly. Although we need to create future smart age-friendly ecosystems to meet these needs, technology still does not feature in the WHO eight domains of an age-friendly city. This paper extends upon Marston and van Hoof’s ‘Smart Age-friendly Ecosystem’ (SAfE) framework, and explores how digital technology, design hacking, and research approaches can be used to understand a smart age-friendly ecosystem in a post-pandemic society. By exploring a series of case studies and using real-life scenarios from the standpoint of COVID-19, we propose the ‘Concept of Age-friendly Smart Ecologies (CASE)’ framework. We provide an insight into a myriad of contemporary multi-disciplinary research, which are capable to initiate discussions and bring various actors together with a positive impact on future planning and development of age-friendly ecosystems. The strengths and limitations of this framework are outlined, with advantages evident in the opportunity for towns, regions/counties, provinces, and states to take an agile approach and work together in adopting and implement improvements for the greater benefits of residents and citizens.

Assistive robots are emerging as technologies that enable older adults to perform activities of daily living with autonomy. Exoskeletons are a subset of assistive robots that can support mobility. Perceptions and acceptance of these technologies require understanding in a user-centred design context to ensure optimum experience and adoption by as broad a spectrum of older adults as possible. The adoption and use of assistive robots for activities of daily living (ADL) by older adults is poorly understood. Older adult acceptance of technology is affected by numerous factors, such as perceptions and stigma associated with dependency and ageing. Assistive technology (AT) models provide theoretical frameworks that inform decision-making in relation to assistive devices for people with disabilities. However, technology acceptance models (TAMs) are theoretical explanations of factors that influence why users adopt some technologies and not others. Recent models have emerged specifically describing technology acceptance by older adults. In the context of exoskeleton design, these models could influence design approaches. This article will discuss a selection of TAMs, displaying a chronology that highlights their evolution, and two prioritised TAMs-Almere and the senior technology acceptance model (STAM)-that merit consideration when attempting to understand acceptance and use of assistive robots by older adults.

In March 2020 the United Nations published an open brief for the creative community to propose interventions to the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic. However, when faced with unprecedented wicked problems such as these, the rigour of design and creative processes can tested. COVID-19 has demonstrated how important human centred design responses are in understanding the worldviews and ecosystems of users. Ad hoc design responses or design hacks have demonstrated that they have a role to play in how we create our future individual, community and societal ecosystems. In terms of age friendly design, this pandemic makes us envision what should be, furthermore, how we could create better products and services through technology. For our ageing communities ‘Cocooning’ and other social restriction measures have exposed technological deficiencies for the needs of older people and opens up questions of our future preparedness for a growing ageing society. Now more than ever, designers need to understand the behavioural mind-set of older people in their own ecosystem and understand existing mental models. In this opinion piece we posit what acts of design hacking can lead us to greater understanding of users mental models and therefore better understanding of technology needs for both older and younger adults. While presenting various examples of how design hacking is conducted by citizens and participants alike, it shows that it offers designers differing perspectives, experiences and inspiration for technology.

Objective This pilot study proposed and performs initial testing with Exoscore, a design evaluation tool to assess factors related to acceptance of exoskeleton by older adults, during the technology development and testing phases. Background As longevity increases and our aging population continues to grow, assistive technologies such as exosuits and exoskeletons can provide enhanced quality of life and independence. Exoscore is a design and prototype stage evaluation method to assess factors related to perceptions of the technology, the aim being to optimize technology acceptance. Method In this pilot study, we applied the three-phase Exoscore tool during testing with 11 older adults. The aims were to explore the feasibility and face validity of applying the design evaluation tool during user testing of a prototype soft lower limb exoskeleton. Results The Exoscore method is presented as part of an iterative design evaluation process. The method was applied during an exoskeleton research and development project. The data revealed the aspects of the concept design that rated favorably with the users and the aspects of the design that required more attention to improve their potential acceptance when deployed as finished products. Conclusion Exoscore was effectively applied to three phases of evaluation during a testing session of a soft exoskeleton. Future exoskeleton development can benefit from the application of this design evaluation tool. Application This study reveals how the introduction of Exoscore to exoskeleton development will be advantageous when assessing technology acceptance of exoskeletons by older adults.

This study explored and interpreted insights expressed by a cohort of older adults related to their life experience, their experiences using or assisting someone with assistive devices, and their perceptions of robots and robotic assistive devices, including lower limb exoskeletons. A grounded theory study was undertaken with 24 older adult participants over the duration of five months. Each participant participated in a structured interviewed regarding their experiences with technologies, and perceptions of assistive technologies. Themes from the interviews were coded using Nvivo software. Five main themes emerged from this study -1) Aging & life stage experiences, 2) Quality of Life, 3) Assistive Technologies, 4) Health Conditions & Care, 5) Products & Service Systems, which have influenced new constructs for a hybrid design tool that incorporates stages of Usability and TAMs (Technology Acceptance Models) to gauge a) Perception, b) Experience and c) Perceived Impact by older adults of lower limb exoskeletons. Emerging technologies such as robotic assistive devices require specific enquiry to understand how best to optimize acceptance by older adults and avoid feelings by them of frustration, embarrassment and ultimately abandonment of these devices.