Loneliness and social isolation can occur at any stage of life. In particular, the loss of friends, family, mobility and health can be contributing factors and may lead to feelings of loneliness. In old age, loneliness tends to arise especially when one’s familiar living environment changes. Illness, bereavement or separation can trigger such changes.

However, physical limitations can also prevent older people from participating in social life. It is therefore important to consciously address feelings of loneliness and take action to combat them. After all, everyone should be able to grow old with dignity.

Mood helps to bring social interactions back to the fore, thereby fostering social participation. This is achieved through an ambient intelligent system in a multi-generational home, which facilitates active social interaction. This multi-generational home accommodates shared-living communities comprising both older and younger generations.

The ambient intelligence system covers the interior of the multi-generational home; the stairwell serves as the interaction environment. The system analyses the moods of the individual residents. This is done via a smartwatch worn on the resident’s wrist. This smartwatch is able to detect the residents’ moods by analysing their heart rate, counting their steps and interpreting their facial expressions. The information collected is then displayed in the stairwell in the form of a visual representation of mood (a flower). These flower projections are intended to appear in the building’s communal areas, in door frames and inside the flats.

Upon entering the house, the user is given a complete overview of all the residents’ moods and who might need someone to talk to. This overall mood is visually represented on the corridor wall in the form of flowers. The moods are visualised through different colours, shapes and active movements. As the moods actively respond to the user and mimic their movements, the user is encouraged to interact with them. As soon as the user has decided on a flower and selected it, the flower detaches from its base and breaks apart into its individual parts. The individual parts move towards the stairwell.

Another feature of the system is ‘invisibility mode’. This is activated by the spy camera on the inside of the front door. This hides the people’s moods. This mode allows the house’s residents to enjoy moments of privacy. Once invisibility mode is activated, the resident can no longer see the moods of the other residents, as they are consciously withdrawing from the community. When the mode is deactivated again, the resident regains the ability to see the overall mood of the house.

To make the system visible within the home as well, there is a visual display in the door frames of the kitchen and living room which also shows the moods of the household members. This display consists of fragments of light that can change colour, thereby symbolising the moods.