Using multi-agent systems to mediate in an assistive social network for elder population

Abstract

Nowadays ubiquitous connectivity, portable computing, pervasive sensing, novel interfaces, cheap and fast computing units, and advances in robotic devices and actuators are changing our lives, our living environments, and our social interaction. To truly benefit the elderly and fragile population, commodities based on these novel technologies need to be autonomous and interactive, and must be capable of anticipating user needs, managing complex and unforeseen situations on their own, seamlessly interfacing with casual end-users, and gracefully terminating their functioning when unrecoverable errors occur. Our main aim is to provide a model for developing a multi-agent system integrated into a medical social network. It must provide a tool for developing assistive services to support elderly patients with disabilities in their daily life.