Ab.Acus srl (IT)
Introduction
Ab.Acus is a research-driven, market-oriented company aimd at spreading and exploiting ICT and engineering-based methodologies in the field of social sciences, humanities, and medicine. Ab.Acus strives to meet the citizens' needs by turning the full potentialities of new technologies and existing know-how into new applications. The achievement of these objectives builds on cooperation in international projects with leading partners throughout Europe. In this perspective, Ab.Acus is actively working in five new granted projects starting in 2015. Long-term experience at the edge among different environments allows the definition and setup of effective strategies to create communication and collaboration in multi-discipline groups.
Among the newest H2020 projects, Ab.Acus is coordinating RETRAINER, REaching and grasping Training based on Robotic hybrid AssIstance for Neurological patients: End users Real life evaluation; and it is partner in m-RESIST Mobile Therapeutic Attention for Patients with Treatment Resistant Schizophrenia.
The most recent FP7 projects in which Ab.Acus was acting as technical coordinator are SMILING, Self Mobility Improvement in the elderly by counteracting falls, REWIRE Rehabilitative Wayout in responsive home environments, MUNDUS Multimodal Neuroprostheses for the Daily Upper limb Support.
The AAL project HAPPY AGEING, a Home based APProach to the Years of AGEING was also approaching elderly people needs.
In addition, Ab.Acus was industrial partner of the Interreg IVC Innovation 4 Welfare project FitRehab, Fitness and rehabilitation at home under expert planning.
Ab.Acus is developing basic research on movement in ecological conditions ranging from animals to humans by means both of video analysis and wearable MEMS devices. Same ideas are translated to rehabilitation for outcome measurement and tailoring of exercises by exploiting Real Time Location Systems platforms.
Ab.Acus builds projects on the competencies of a pool of technology, design, and market experts, targeting the research and entrepreneurship activities towards markets facing important challenges and with great innovation potential. A user centred and participatory design is at the very start of any R&D activity in Ab.Acus.
Ab.Acus is very active in the investigation and assessment of new technologies and the impact that they may have on citizens and their daily life in terms of technology acceptance as well as potential benefits. Indeed, applied research, mainly in the field of services to the citizen, strongly builds on the effective translation of researches and discoveries in basic sciences. Ab.Acus will exploit this specific expertise to contribute to the setting up of a full picture of DiDIY potentialities and related impact on citizens.
Role in the DiDIY project
As a company Ab.Acus is interested in analyzing the process of development of the DiDIY phenomenon and in understanding its commercial potentialities. Ab.Acus is actively contributing to the overall frame design, is leading the WP4 on the investigation of DiDIY impact on education and research and is working on dissemination, future roadmap and sustainability design. Specifically referring to the education framework, Ab.Acus will investigate role and expectations of all education actors keeping into account procedures and tools from technology acceptance modeling.
