{"260891":{"#nid":"260891","#data":{"type":"news","title":"HomeLab Hits Milestone with Participants, Partnerships","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) has broadened the definition of laboratory testing. Through soliciting everyday consumers as participants, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/homelab.gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EHomeLab\u003C\/a\u003E is now a formidable force, at 500-strong.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe HomeLab initiative expands Georgia Tech\u2019s product evaluation capabilities in testing health, wellness, and aging-at-home technologies. HomeLab participants test and use these technologies in their homes, assisting manufacturers in design and usability and supporting the aging-in-place paradigm.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech handles all of the recruitment, technology infrastructure, and protocol development associated with consumer testing so that companies can quickly react to the needs of the market and test new potential solutions as rapidly as possible,\u201d said HomeLab Director Brad Fain.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGTRI Research Associate Renita Folds and the HomeLab team have worked to increase consumer participation in and around the metro Atlanta area.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs of Nov. 18, we have more than 550 people in both rural and urban areas,\u201d Folds said. \u201cOur goal was to establish a network of 500 in the metro Atlanta area by the end of 2013, so we\u2019re ahead of schedule.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe secure database allows participants to be anonymously selected according to multiple data points, such as \u201cliving with arthritis\u201d or \u201cpeople with asthma.\u201d Research partners set the parameters for testing, and HomeLab will provide the participants. Current projects include behavioral acceptance of activity monitors and gaming for health. Past projects include a packaging survey, remote health monitoring, smart mirror and voting accessibility survey.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHomeLab participants already are assisting in product evaluation, so 2014 will focus more on testing and boosting studies with current partners, while pushing the lab\u2019s services to researchers, starting with faculty at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHomeLab is no longer actively recruiting any more partners from metro Atlanta, Folds said, but they are still hoping to expand, both in resources and in partnerships. \u201cWe will begin searching for participants in the Macon and Warner Robins area,\u201d she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn November, HomeLab entered into a collaborative partnership agreement with Innovate LTC, located in Louisville, Ky., and the Institute for the Ages, located in Sarasota, Fla. The three organizations will share expertise and interest in a memorandum of understanding that highlights their complementary research missions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition, the group is working to expand its industry partnerships, meeting with various organizations and groups. \u201cWe also recently met with a delegation representing French companies,\u201d she said. The group was introduced to HomeLab at a Health Information Technology Showcase at Technology Square, on the Georgia Tech campus. \u201cAdditionally, other prospective partners have approached us.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdded Fain: \u201cHomeLab has built the necessary infrastructure that enables companies to focus on the things that truly matter such as measuring product effectiveness and performing research that will lead to solutions that enhances the lives of older adults.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWriter: Robert Nesmith\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe HomeLab initiative expands Georgia Tech\u2019s product evaluation capabilities in testing health, wellness, and aging-at-home technologies. HomeLab participants test and use these technologies in their homes, assisting manufacturers in design and usability and supporting the aging-in-place paradigm.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u0027s HomeLab, which tests health, wellness and living-at-home products, now has enrolled more than 500 people."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-12-13 15:14:21","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:33","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-12-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-12-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"260881":{"id":"260881","type":"image","title":"HomeLab","body":null,"created":"1449243987","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:46:27","changed":"1475894945","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:05","alt":"HomeLab","file":{"fid":"198364","name":"120612_homelab.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/120612_homelab_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/120612_homelab_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":410573,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/120612_homelab_0.jpg?itok=2xlxS776"}}},"media_ids":["260881"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"82151","name":"consumers"},{"id":"416","name":"GTRI"},{"id":"35701","name":"HomeLab"},{"id":"82141","name":"laboratory testing"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}