LIFEtool Living Lab

Photo: young man in wheel chair with VR glasses, LIFEtool coworker in backgrounde

Why we do research?

The corporate purpose of LIFEtool gemeinnützige GmbH is research & development and counseling in the field of Assistive Technologies, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), learning and training software for children, adolescents, adults and older people with physical impairments and/or learning difficulties.

Assistive Technologies not only offer barrier-free participation in education, work and leisure to people with disabilities and elderly people. They are the key factor in order to make advanced computer and communication technologies accessible for all. 200 million people benefit from Assistive Technologies according to estimates. The funding for development of accessible information and communication technologies increases as well as the number of users.

 

Graphic:R&D Competence

LIFEtool is proud to play an important role in this area. We offer a broad research network to potential funders and cooperation partners together with universities and private research institutions.

  • Established R&D partner for universities, colleges, associations, businesses and opinion leaders in all aspects of accessible information and communication technologies for people with special needs of all ages.
  • Excellent access through the LIFEtool counseling network and through the owner Diakonie to the target group like individuals, educational institutions, hospitals, nursing facilities, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, private and public sponsors, self-help groups, etc.
  • Technology scout: picking up new trends in technical implementation of accessibility
  • Research expert in the design of “Strategisches Wirtschafts- und Forschungsprogramm  ‚Innovatives OÖ 2010‘ and ‚2010plus‘” in the field of research and development (ICT, Life Sciences).
  • Best practice example regarding User Driven Research, User Centered Design and Open Innovation
  • Official appointment as expert for the field "technologies for people with disabilities" within Diakonie.

 

Competence through User Driven Research, User Centered Design and Open Innovation

Our clients are actively involved in the innovation process. Their knowledge is collected within the range of more than 1.200 consultations per year. On the one hand we are able to learn in depth about the needs and requests of our customers and on the other hand we earn valuable solution-orientated skills. The integration of our customers in the solution process - "User Centered Development" - leads to higher acceptance and ensures that our new products can be developed efficiently, effectively and can be placed successfully on the market.

Competence through experience and special know-how

LIFEtool is focusing on research and application-orientated development  with the aim to help people with special needs to achieve a higher degree of autonomy. We have earned specialized knowledge that enabled us to register two patents and bring 22 approved software applications on the market. 8 national and international awards inspire us to create further innovations (including the prestigious red dot award for product design of IntegraMouse Plus).

Competence through expertise and socializing

LIFEtool’s development and research expertise is demanded on a national and international level. Being a member of the following institutions and bodies honors us. And it is also a place of learning and a pool of ideas for future developments and research projects:

  • KI-I Competence network information technology to promote the integration of people with disabilities
  • Health Cluster Upper Austria
  • Network Design & Media
  • ISAAC International
  • ISAAC Austria 
  • BKOM Germany
  • ARKOM D-A-CH-NL
  • Europ AAATE
  • BATA England
  • ATA and ATNAD USA

 

Expertise through interdisciplinary collaboration

To learn from each other and to learn together with others is essential for LIFEtool. We are open-minded for partners in technology, science and business, and work together with educators, psychologists and software developers. Interdisciplinary working has been our main way of working at LIFEtool since our foundation day. We have learned to use the strengths of each discipline profitable for solutions for people with disabilities and seniors.