In with the Old, out with the New. A Hackathon to create new ideas for an older generation.

Auriens is bringing brilliant minds together from across the 300,000 strong London tech-sector, Europe’s strongest tech-city, who are giving their free time over the May bank holiday to challenge themselves to respond to the Auriens brief surrounding ageing. London’s pioneering tech community will use their varied skills and forward thinking approaches to break down barriers for our elder generations when it comes to engaging with technology.

This first-of-a-kind event is designed to challenge the conventions around old age and hack new ideas to improve the quality (and quantity) of all aspects of later life for this generation and the next. Considering everything from hospitality and healthcare to travel, fashion and retail, this event is expected to excel in creating age-defying ideas.

During the event, participants will be invited to consider imaginative solutions across three main themes:

1.Living

Imagining technology tools that will enrich a residential living environment, considering everything from ergonomic architecture to embedded technology, lifestyle and concierge services to healthcare, hospitality and wellbeing.

2.Caring

Devising dynamic ideas around the provision of care, from the perspectives of hospitality and technology.

3.Connecting

Considering avant garde solutions around technology that will enable residents to communicate with friends and family as well as staying connected to the world of business. Exploring the social side of life, imagining innovation across events, entertainment and relationships.

The hackathon is not only an opportunity for tech and creative minds to come together to create some inspiring new technology for later lifers, but also to experience technology developed by others surrounding ageing, including GERT age simulation suits and Sebastian Conran’s MiRo dog.

This is the robotic dog developed by Sebastian Conran Associates in conjunction with Sheffield University. MiRo is a biomimetic companion robot with an advanced brain to learn from its surroundings and can develop a unique personality. It will make decisions, display emotions and respond to others in a unique and autonomous way with a view to providing companionship and emotional engagement to older generations, similarly to the Paro seal robot.

PARTICIPANTS

Auriens is encouraging a diverse range of people to take part, from developers and designers, to marketers and innovators. Age is certainly not a barrier and later lifers are actively encouraged to participate with up to 70 people expected to take part in the event.

To help participants fully understand the needs of older generations, Auriens will also be providing age simulation suits (GERontologic Test Suits) to enable participants to experience the sensor and motor impairments of older age. These state of the art suits are broadly used to train medical healthcare professionals but are now also used in corporate training for business who work closely with the elderly.

MENTORS, JUDGES AND REWARDS

A specialist team of mentors will be on hand throughout the process to inspire and advise participants, and an expert judging panel will then review the concepts and select the winners.

Judges include Rama Gheerawo, Director of The Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design and Eric Khilstrom, Aging 2.0 London plus others.

The winner will receive £5,000 and second prize of £2,000 will also be awarded at the event. An additional discretionary ‘idea incubation’ reward has been identified should a suitable concept be generated.

DATES AND TIMES

Starts: 28 April, 2017 - 6.30pm

Ends: 30 April, 2017 – 7.00pm

VENUE

OXO2

Level Two, Oxo Tower Wharf

Bargehouse Street

London

SE1 9PH

EVENT WEBSITE

auriens.bemyapp.com

SOCIAL MEDIA

Follow the Auriens Hackathon via social media and join the conversation using the hashtag #LaterLifeHacks

Twitter: @auriensliving

Instagram: @auriensliving

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Auriens