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- Mobile applications for accessible tourism: overview, challenges and a proposed platformPublication . Ribeiro, Fernando Reinaldo; Silva, Arlindo F.; Barbosa, Fernando Sérgio; Silva, Ana Paula; Metrôlho, J.C.M.M.In the Travel & Tourism sector, mobile applications could do much more than simply provide information about specific locations or recommend places and itineraries based on the user location. They could leverage a wide range of technologies to be aware of the interests and specific needs of disabled tourists, providing them with appropriate and tailored information. This information should be presented using appropriate interaction mechanisms, able to help this specific, but large, group of the population in their everyday tourist activities, thus contributing to even more accessible tourism and travel activities. We present an overview of mobile applications that, in some perspective, may be used to support people with disabilities in their tourist activities. This overview allows us to explore the key challenges involved and some available alternatives, as well as to identify their positive aspects. However, it also underlines some issues that could be addressed more carefully and extensively in the application ecosystem. We also present some preliminary recommendations for a collaborative and personalized system framework to support people with disabilities in their tourist and travel activities. Ongoing work on a first prototype has already given us valuable insights into the identified challenges and we expect it to be a major step towards a more formal specification of our platform, as well as its development and test.
- PoPu-Data: a multilayered, simultaneously collected lying position datasetPublication . Fonseca, Luís Filipe Rodrigues; Ribeiro, Fernando Reinaldo; Metrôlho, J.C.M.M.; Santos, Adriana; Dionísio, Rogério Pais; Amini, Mohammad; Silva, Arlindo F.; Heravi, Ahmad Reza; Sheikholeslami, Davood Fanaei; Fidalgo, Filipe; Rodrigues, Francisco; Santos, Osvaldo; Coelho, Patrícia; Aemmi, Seyyed SajjadThis study presents a dataset containing three layers of data that are useful for body position classification and all uses related to it. The PoPu dataset contains simultaneously collected data from two different sensor sheets—one placed over and one placed under a mattress; furthermore, a segmentation data layer was added where different body parts are identified using the pressure data from the sensors over the mattress. The data included were gathered from 60 healthy volunteers distributed among the different gathered characteristics: namely sex, weight, and height. This dataset can be used for position classification, assessing the viability of sensors placed under a mattress, and in applications regarding bedded or lying people or sleep related disorders.
- Literature review of location-based mobile games in education: challenges, impacts and opportunitiesPublication . Ribeiro, Fernando Reinaldo; Silva, Arlindo F.; Silva, Ana Paula; Metrôlho, J.C.M.M.With the universal use of mobile computing devices, there has been a notable increasein the number of mobile applications developed for educational purposes. Gamification strategiesoffer a new set of tools to educators and, combined with the location services provided by thosedevices, allow the creation of innovative location-based mobile learning experiences. In this literaturereview, we conduct an analysis of educational mobile location-based games. The review includesarticles published from January of 2010 to October of 2020, and from 127 records screened, 26 articleswere analysed in full-text form. This analysis allowed us to answer the following six predefinedresearch questions: Who are the target audiences for location-based games? In which subjects arelocation-based games most used? Which strategies are implemented with mobile devices to improvethe student’s learning process? What are the main impacts of location-based games on students’learning? What are the main challenges to the development of location-based games for education?What future tendencies and research opportunities can be identified from the analysis of the currentstate of the art?
- Mobile applications for pandemic monitoring: approaches, challenges and opportunitiesPublication . Alves, Bernardo; Afonso, Vera; Silva, Ana Paula; Ribeiro, Fernando Reinaldo; Silva, Arlindo F.In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, mobile applications have been widely used and promoted to help prevent the spread of the pandemic. Many countries have proposed these applications with the aim of improving contact tracing and thus helping “flatten the curve” of infection case numbers. However, even though there were many campaigns to promote the use of these apps, their adoption was relatively low, which significantly affected their success. The success of COVID-19 contact tracing apps, in terms of its massive use and effectiveness, seems to have been deeply affected by issues associated with privacy and anonymity and the perception that its potential users have about the cost/benefit. In this paper, we analyze some applications for monitoring and contact tracing of infectious diseases to identify the most common approaches and features. We then proceed to discuss the challenges and risks that may influence the success of this type of applications, and we present some recommendations that can contribute to improve their acceptance. Considering the proposed recommendations, we describe the main features and the development of an app that includes additional functionalities alongside the contact tracing feature, in order to increase user perceived value from the use of the application.
- Review of intelligent sensor-based systems for pressure ulcer prevention.Publication . Silva, Arlindo F.; Metrôlho, J.C.M.M.; Ribeiro, Fernando Reinaldo; Fidalgo, Filipe; Santos, Osvaldo; Dionísio, Rogério PaisPressure ulcers are a critical issue not only for patients, decreasing their quality of life, but also for healthcare professionals, contributing to burnout from continuous monitoring, with a consequent increase in healthcare costs. Due to the relevance of this problem, many hardware and software approaches have been proposed to ameliorate some aspects of pressure ulcer prevention and monitoring. In this article, we focus on reviewing solutions that use sensor-based data, possibly in combination with other intrinsic or extrinsic information, processed by some form of intelligent algorithm, to provide healthcare professionals with knowledge that improves the decision-making process when dealing with a patient at risk of developing pressure ulcers. We used a systematic approach to select 21 studies that were thoroughly reviewed and summarized, considering which sensors and algorithms were used, the most relevant data features, the recommendations provided, and the results obtained after deployment. This review allowed us not only to describe the state of the art regarding the previous items, but also to identify the three main stages where intelligent algorithms can bring meaningful improvement to pressure ulcer prevention and mitigation. Finally, as a result of this review and following discussion, we drew guidelines for a general architecture of an intelligent pressure ulcer prevention system.
- A new framework for accessible tourism mobile application developmentPublication . Ribeiro, Fernando Reinaldo; Silva, Arlindo F.; Metrôlho, J.C.M.M.; Silva, Ana Paula; Barbosa, Fernando SérgioRecent years have seen an increasing realization of the importance and potential of accessible tourism. To support it, the ICT industries have provided many different applications, especially for mobile computing frameworks. An analysis of these applications allows us to identify some issues that are not yet fully addressed. These include the absence of collaborative features; the lack of involvement of all stakeholders; the inexistence of synergies; the lack of widely accessible geographic databases and the limited scope of focus within the disability range. To tackle some of these issues, we propose a common framework for development of tourism accessible related applications. This framework stores and manages tourism information and makes this information available to be used by mobile applications developers through specific web services. This approach can represent an important contribution to accessible tourism, by decreasing the cost and facilitating the development of new applications supporting new products and services.
- Integrated system for pressure ulcers monitoring and preventionPublication . Fonseca, Luís Filipe Rodrigues; Ribeiro, Fernando Reinaldo; Metrôlho, J.C.M.M.; Fidalgo, Filipe; Dionísio, Rogério Pais; Silva, Arlindo F.; Santos, Osvaldo; Amini, MohammadPressure ulcers are a critical issue for patients and healthcare professionals, requiring their frequent monitoring, with a consequent impact on healthcare costs. This problem has been gaining attention and approaches have been proposed, using sensor-based systems, to facilitate this monitoring and help health caregivers to achieve greater effectiveness in the treatment of this type of ulcer. In this paper, the architecture, and the prototype of a new system for pressure ulcer monitoring and prevention are presented. It considers information related to both intrinsic and extrinsic predisposing factors and it addresses the components of data acquisition, data analysis, and production of complementary support to well-informed clinical decision-making. The system includes a pressure ulcer management portal and a mobile application, that allows caregivers to manage clinical information about pressure ulcers of the patients and uses data acquired from a pressure sensor sheet under the mattress to provide useful information for monitoring the patients. Considering the situation of each patient, the system will produce indicators/alerts to healthcare professionals, simultaneously improving pressure-ulcer patient care quality and safety and minimizing the burnout in healthcare professionals.
- Innovation and knowledge transfer for monitoring, predicting and preventing ulcers: the Sensomatt ApproachPublication . Silva, Arlindo F.; Santos, Osvaldo; Ribeiro, Fernando Reinaldo; Fidalgo, Filipe; Metrôlho, J.C.M.M.; Amini, Mohammad; Fonseca, Luís Filipe Rodrigues; Dionísio, Rogério PaisPressure ulcers are skin injuries that develop mainly over bony areas as the result of prolonged pressure caused by the immo- bility of bedridden patients. They constitute not only a source of additional suffering for these patients but also contribute to the burnout of healthcare professionals who must maintain continuous monitoring of these patients. Data from countries such as the UK or the USA allows the cost of this problem to be estimated to be, respectively, near £2 billion and $80 billion. In this article, we describe the SensoMatt approach to pressure ulcer prevention and management, which is being developed as a research project that includes partners from industry, healthcare, and academia. The SensoMatt solution is centered on a pressure sheet that is placed under the patient’s mattress, complemented by an online management portal and a mobile app. These provide patients and healthcare providers with an unparalleled set of services that include personalized analysis, prevention warnings and recommendations.
- Literature review of machine-learning algorithms for pressure ulcer prevention: challenges and opportunitiesPublication . Ribeiro, Fernando Reinaldo; Fidalgo, Filipe; Silva, Arlindo F.; Metrôlho, J.C.M.M.; Santos, Osvaldo; Dionísio, RogérioPressure ulcers are associated with significant morbidity, resulting in a decreased quality of life for the patient, and contributing to healthcare professional burnout, as well as an increase of health service costs. Their prompt diagnosis and treatment are important, and several studies have proposed solutions to help healthcare professionals in this process. This work analyzes studies that use machine-learning algorithms for risk assessment and management of preventive treatments for pressure ulcers. More specifically, it focuses on the use of machine-learning algorithms that combine information from intrinsic and extrinsic pressure-ulcer predisposing factors to produce recommendations/alerts to healthcare professionals. The review includes articles published from January 2010 to June 2021. From 60 records screened, seven articles were analyzed in full-text form. The results show that most of the proposed algorithms do not use information related to both intrinsic and extrinsic predisposing factors and that many of the approaches separately address one of the following three components: data acquisition; data analysis, and production of complementary support to well-informed clinical decision-making. Additionally, only a few studies describe in detail the outputs of the algorithm, such as alerts and recommendations, without assessing their impacts on healthcare professionals’ activities
- Learn as a team to work in a teamPublication . Metrôlho, J.C.M.M.; Ribeiro, Fernando Reinaldo; Silva, Ana Paula; Silva, Arlindo F.; Barbosa, Fernando SérgioExiste atualmente em Portugal uma forte procura de profissionais na área das Tecnologias da Informação e Comunicação. Esta procura exige que as Instituições de Ensino Superior preparem os seus diplomados adequadamente, não só tecnicamente, mas também ao nível de competências que são vulgarmente designadas por soft skills. Este artigo pretende descrever uma estratégia recentemente implementada, e ainda a decorrer, em dois cursos do ensino superior da área das Tecnologias da Informação e Comunicação. Nela adotaram-se práticas que acreditamos poderem ser conducentes a uma sólida formação dos alunos não só ao nível técnico, como também ao nível da aquisição de conhecimento e prática das melhores metodologias de trabalho em equipa. O feedback dos empregadores foi, e tem sido, bastante importante para o delinear desta estratégia. Isto porque nos permitiu aferir o grau de facilidade com que os recémlicenciados se integram nas empresas após serem recrutados, e os aspetos que a influenciam. Pudemos, assim, constatar que para uma integração com sucesso, contribuem, não só os conhecimentos e competências técnicas que estes evidenciam, mas também um conjunto de aspetos comportamentais relacionados com as relações interpessoais, motivação manifestada, atitude perante desafios, entre outras. A abordagem que propomos visa orientar a formação dos alunos finalistas no sentido de facilitar a sua integração num futuro ambiente de trabalho. O propósito deste artigo é partilhar esta experiência, que avaliamos como positiva, com aqueles que trabalhem nesta área, contribuindo assim para a tão desejada aproximação Academia-Empresas.