title: Principles for fostering the transdisciplinary development of assistive technologies.
abstract: Developing useful and usable assistive technologies often presents complex (or "wicked") challenges that require input from multiple disciplines and sectors. Transdisciplinary collaboration can enable holistic understanding of challenges that may lead to innovative, impactful and transformative solutions. This paper presents generalised principles that are intended to foster transdisciplinary assistive technology development. The paper introduces the area of assistive technology design before discussing general aspects of transdisciplinary collaboration followed by an overview of relevant concepts, including approaches, methodologies and frameworks for conducting and evaluating transdisciplinary working and assistive technology design. The principles for transdisciplinary development of assistive technologies are presented and applied post hoc to the COACH project, an ambient-assisted living technology for guiding completion of activities of daily living by older adults with dementia as an illustrative example. Future work includes the refinement and validation of these principles through their application to real-world transdisciplinary assistive technology projects. Implications for rehabilitation Transdisciplinarity encourages a focus on real world 'wicked' problems. A transdisciplinary approach involves transcending disciplinary boundaries and collaborating with interprofessional and community partners (including the technology's intended users) on a shared problem. Transdisciplinarity fosters new ways of thinking about and doing research, development, and implementation, expanding the scope, applicability, and commercial viability of assistive technologies.
authors.affiliation: a Toronto Rehabilitation Institute , Toronto , ON , Canada.|b Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy , University of Toronto , 500 University Ave , Toronto , ON , Canada.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boger
authors.affiliation: c Gerontology Research Centre , Simon Fraser University , Vancouver , BC , Canada.
authors.forename: Piper
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.affiliation: d School of Computing and Mathematics , Ulster University , Newtownabbey , UK.
authors.forename: Maurice
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mulvenna
authors.affiliation: e Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Northampton , Northampton , UK.
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sixsmith
authors.affiliation: c Gerontology Research Centre , Simon Fraser University , Vancouver , BC , Canada.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sixsmith
authors.affiliation: a Toronto Rehabilitation Institute , Toronto , ON , Canada.|b Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy , University of Toronto , 500 University Ave , Toronto , ON , Canada.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mihailidis
authors.affiliation: a Toronto Rehabilitation Institute , Toronto , ON , Canada.
authors.forename: Pia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kontos
authors.affiliation: f School of Occupational Therapy , Western University , London , ON , Canada.
authors.forename: Janice
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miller Polgar
authors.affiliation: a Toronto Rehabilitation Institute , Toronto , ON , Canada.
authors.forename: Alisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grigorovich
authors.affiliation: g School of Health Sciences, Ulster University , Newtownabbey , UK.
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D001185:Artificial Intelligence; D003142:Communication; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004777:Environment; D004867:Equipment Design / Q000379:methods*; D006126:Group Processes; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D012106:Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012656:Self-Help Devices; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: Assistive technology; collaboration; innovation; principles; transdisciplinarity