Situated Abilities within Universal Design – A Theoretical Exploration

Publication details

Journal: International Journal on Advances in Intelligent Systems, vol. 13, p. 278–291–14, 2020
Publishers: International Academy, Research and Industry Association (IARIA)
International Standard Numbers:
- Printed: 1942-2679
- Electronic: 1942-2679
Links:
- ARKIV: http://hdl.handle.net/10852/84490
- FULLTEKST: www.iariajournals.org/intelligent_systems/intsys_v13_n34_2020_paged.pdf
- PROSJEKT: Multimodal Elderly Care Systems

This paper investigates Universal Design (UD) through the idea of designing for situated abilities, rather than focusing on designing for disabled users. This shift in perspective from disabilities to abilities is explored through the design of a domestic robot that integrates into our homes, in a familiar way. We explore the concept of designing for situated abilities through a proof-of-concept robotic wooden table, the T-ABLE, as an alternative design for domestic robots. Finally, the paper identifies four dimensions of situated abilities.