Designing Listening Technology – A Smart ‘Digital Concierge’ for Independent Ageing

Populations are ageing across the developed world, placing increasing pressure on healthcare and social care systems.

Two persistent challenges stand out:

• supporting older adults to maintain independence and dignity despite age-related limitations
• reducing loneliness and social isolation, particularly in care homes and assisted living environments.

Emilio – Bridging the Gap Between Care Needs and Digital Technology

While smart speakers and consumer IoT devices offer partial support, they are rarely designed for the needs of senior users — nor integrated into professional care workflows.

The Emilio Project, launched in 2022, was created to change that. Its aim is to provide older adults with quick and easy access to medical and non-medical support, while improving comfort, safety and social connectedness.

Conceived as a ‘digital concierge for assisted living’, Emilio is being developed by a consortium of nine partners with EU and national funding. Erdmann Solutions contributes business modelling, communication strategy and usability development.

From User Insights to Smart Service Delivery

Together with the Emilio Team we gained deep insight into real-world needs across care environments. Activities included:

• market and stakeholder research
• co-creation with care staff and older adults
• brand and service blueprinting
• iterative usability testing
• interface and interaction design

“We identified what truly matters: solutions must be simple, intuitive, and trustworthy,” said the Erdmann Solutions team.  “Technology should adapt to the person — not the other way around. Voice-based interaction is the key enabler.”

A Tailored Voice-First Solution

Emilio combines intelligent voice recognition with IoT-based monitoring to understand user needs in real-time. The platform is trained to learn user routines and behavioral pattern so that it can spotlights unusual events early — before they escalate into problems.

In this way, it provides personalized health and daily living support while helping users stay connected to caregivers, community services, and loved ones.

This integrated approach enhances quality of life while supporting autonomy — delivering a safer, more connected and self-determined ageing experience.

A functional prototype is about to enter real-world trials in a European assisted-living community.

Resources

Click on Emilio Project to find out more.
Click on www.erdmann.ch for further details.