From conversations to code: NUS researchers craft age-friendly tech with the community at heart

From conversations to code: NUS researchers craft age-friendly tech with the community at heart

An error occurred while preparing your download

In the bustling landscape of technological innovation, progress often begins with algorithms and circuits. Yet, for Dr Sapphire Lin, a research fellow at the Institute for Digital Medicineunder the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, and Associate Professor Bina Rai from the Department of Biomedical Engineeringunder the College of Design and Engineeringat NUS, the true starting point is people. Leading with a profound commitment to community engagement, their work at the Health District @ Queenstown(HD@QT), a multi-stakeholder initiative developing lasting health and social solutions, redefines how technology serves Singapore's ageing population, rooting innovation in empathy and real-world needs.

Bridging technology and trust

An error occurred while preparing your download

Dr Lin, with a background in communication science, brings an essential perspective to medical technology (MedTech). Her HD@QT work, a collaboration with Stanford University, focuses on ambient intelligence - discreet sensors embedded in homes. This AI system detects subtle routine changes, predicting health risks like falls or hospital readmissions. Unlike wearables, it blends seamlessly, offering passive, continuous monitoring.

However, technology is only half the equation. "The user perspective is equally important," she emphasises. Over the past year, she interviewed 60 older adults and caregivers in Queenstown. These conversations, central to her "listening before building" philosophy, revealed concerns about privacy, camera placement, and dignity, alongside practical solutions. For instance, residents suggested placing sensors outside bathrooms - a profound insight engineers might miss without direct community input.

"These insights are things engineers may not automatically think of," Dr Lin reflected, "Unless you speak to the people who live there." She sees her role as a crucial bridge, translating human concerns into design considerations and technological possibilities into language residents can trust and welcome. As she puts it, "I don't build the technology, but I help shape how it is built."

Play as prescription: Engaging minds through serious games

An error occurred while preparing your download

Complementing Dr Lin's efforts in understanding user acceptance is Assoc Prof Rai who champions "serious games" - digital play for learning, behavioural, or therapeutic outcomes.

Her research develops digital solutions supporting cognitive health and social connection among older adults, a path she found after transitioning from clinical microbiology. Recalling her early career studying microorganisms, Assoc Prof Rai noted, "You see the colour changes, but you don't see the bigger picture," leading her to seek a broader application of science.

Her approach is equally community-centric. In the modules she teaches, such as BN4701 Serious Games for Health, students co-design visual storytelling games based on life stories of older Singaporeans and youth.

HD@QT provides an invaluable real-world testbed for these solutions. "I was asking myself how to apply my research in a real-world setting," she shared. "Queenstown, with its demographic mirroring that of our country's, is ideal."

In co-design workshops, older adults review student prototypes and provide candid feedback. While AI crafts initial scenarios, residents ground these ideas in lived reality, ensuring authenticity. "They tell us if something feels unrealistic," she explained, "And the students refine from there."

Her emphasis on dignified game design stems from personal experience, watching her parents navigate retirement and its challenges. Beyond pills, she wondered what else could support healthy ageing. "Problem-solving requires knowledge and skills, as well as communication and care," she stressed, believing care-centred design is vital in the AI era.

A holistic approach to healthy ageing

Both Dr Lin and Assoc Prof Rai exemplify a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to healthy ageing. Effective MedTech innovation requires empathy and continuous dialogue with the community, beyond technical prowess. Queenstown, mirroring Singapore's demographics, is ideal for evaluating these digital play and ambient intelligence solutions.

Their collaborative efforts underscore a vital message: as Singapore ages and predictive technologies integrate, innovation should not outpace empathy. By actively involving older adults in the design and evaluation of solutions, these NUS researchers ensure technology is not just possible, but welcomed, accepted and beneficial. For technology to truly enhance lives, it must start by listening to the people it aims to help.