Ben's House Project
Over the first two years Bentech Assistive Technologies Inc. will
establish the concept of an automated house design under the banner
of Ben’s House project (BHP) that utilises new technologies and is
designed to suit a common range of disabilities.
The aim of the Ben’s House Project is to research, develop and implement a variety of home automation devices and an integrated control system to operate them suitable for a range of disabilities. In addition an installation centre is to be established to carry forward the development in the future.
A needs survey will be the starting point of the BHP and will be conducted with a group of twenty five My Place clients with diverse physical and mental disabilities, as well as those whose abilities are affected by the aging process. The analysis of the survey result will provide guidance and priorities for the project’s directions.
The systems developed as a result of the project will make living independently and in their own residence easier and more comfortable for those in this specific group.
This concept plan will provide detailed
information on how such systems can be implemented, sources of
personnel to undertake the implementation, training on how systems
are used and actual examples of how the systems operate. In the
latter case a model of an automated house will be produced, a video
demonstrating how automated house systems can aid disabled persons
and a house will be retrofitted with a variety of actual systems
where people can have hands on experience of the benefits of
automation. These houses will be available for viewing to interested
members of the public.