The Champaign West Rotary Club invited Dr. Wendy Rogers, Director of the McKechnie Family LIFE Home, and Dr. Shafiqul Islam, Postdoctoral Research Associate, for an engaging in-person presentation and virtual demonstration, highlighting the capabilities of the LIFE Home and how it is aimed at improving the quality of life for people of all ages and abilities.
Attendees learned how the LIFE Home’s simulated environments—living room, kitchen/dining, bedroom, den, extended reality lab, tele-research lab, and personal care research spaces—enable researchers to test smart home technologies, robotics, and digital health tools in realistic settings. The LIFE Home team demonstrated their top-of-the-line smart appliances, connected home systems, and an array of assistive robots, including the Stretch assistive robot, Gita personal carrier, social robots Moxie and Misty, and Paro the therapeutic seal.
Dr. Rogers shared current research collaborations with industry and academic partners, such as developing hands-free control systems for assistive robots, designing soft robotic bathing devices for older adults, and exploring virtual reality for cognitive engagement among older adults. These projects are supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, and university-based funding programs.
The presentation emphasized the importance of community engagement, with upcoming events such as the LIFE Home Fall Open House planned for October 7 (2-5pm), offering the public a chance to tour the facility and experience the technology first-hand. Dr. Islam provided virtual tour of the LIFE Home using the Ohmni telepresence robot.
The event was held at the Terminal Building in downtown Champaign and was attended by approximately 50 members and their guests from the club. Following the presentation, they asked a lot of questions and were very interested in and supportive of the mission of the LIFE Home.
