Toward a Human-friendly Assistive Environment

Recent years have witnessed rapid advances in the enabling technologies such as wireless communication, smart sensors / actuators, robotics and smart devices / services. As the pervasive computing technologies become more and more mature, people in both academia and industry are thinking of how to deploy those technologies to enhance the quality of life for all the world citizens and maintain independent living for elderly and disabled people. With the goal of using assistive technology to help elderly and disabled people carry out daily living activities, socialize, and enjoy entertainment and leisure activities, This publication focuses on "smart home and health telematics" and choosing again "independent living for persons with disabilities and elderly people" as the theme of the ICOST conference. It has to be clarified that smart home techniques are not only limited to home environment, but can also be deployed into other environments such as hospitals, offices, schools, or even trainstations. ICOST intends to provide a forum for researchers, practitioners, business leaders and policy makers to exchange ideas and experiences in the smart home and healthcare domain.