Vizitant

Vizitant launches video calling system at Dromcollogher Respite Centre

DROMCOLLOGHER, CO. LIMERICK - FEBRUARY 23, 2008: Dromcollogher & District Respite Care Centre in Co. Limerick has taken another leap ahead in care services for residents with the launch of an advanced video-calling system. The only stand-alone respite centre in the country has teamed up with the Vizitant project to add an extra dimension to phone calls between residents and their relatives.

“Our system is best described as two-way TV, where those on both sides of the call can see, as well as hear each other”, said James Corbett, founder of Vizitant. “A video call is a more emotionally satisfying experience than a regular phone call because people convey so much information in their facial expressions and body language”.

Vizitant, in association with WTS Broadband, covered the respite center and adjacent community housing with wireless internet access and installed a first of it’s kind touchscreen PC in the lobby area which is so user-friendly, claims Corbett, that anyone of any age can make and receive video calls.

“The management of the Respite Care Centre, Dromcollogher is very grateful to Vizitant for the opportunity to have a Video Calling system installed”, said Sister Maureen Cahill, manager of the respite centre. “Staff Members are currently being trained to use the facility and our long term objective is that our residents will be assisted by staff to communicate with family and friends, using the video calling system.”

Relatives of respite centre residents can borrow a portable videophone unit and attach it to their home internet so as to engage in video calls even if they don’t have the right kind of computer. “Most computers that are four or less years old are easily and cheaply adaptable to video calling but with the portable unit you don’t have to worry about any of that”, explains Corbett. “And we’re always just a phone call away to provide help and guidance”.

About Vizitant:

Vizitant was founded in June 2008 after receiving level 1 backing from Social Entrepreneurs Ireland. The project aims to bring visual communication services to the elderly, disabled, carers and other socially marginalized groups. Project founder James Corbett is a native of Newcastlewest, Co. Limerick.

Contact:

James Corbett, founder
Vizitant.com
http://www.vizitant.com

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Time Magazine and Sunday Times cover advances in video-calling

Two interesting news items came to my attention today -

• Time Magazine reports on the interest of the US military in keeping service people's families closer by using advanced 3D telepresence technology - "The Pentagon wants to create computerized hologram-like moms and dads that can talk with the kids when their parents are deployed far from home and beyond telephone or e-mail contact."
• The Sunday Times has a long article on advances in video-conferencing - "As the global recession sinks its teeth into so many firms’ bottom lines, it is an idea whose day has come. This growing necessity has coincided with forward leaps in technology. Faster connections thanks to greater internet bandwidth, better video compression and higher-quality cameras have all helped, along with some neat new technical tricks, but the most important change has been the price"

Video Demo: Asus Eee Top touchscreen as Skype Video Calling terminal

So I finally got my hands on an Asus Eee Top touchscreen PC this week and have been busily configuring it for an optimized Skype Video calling experience.

Here's a short video clip taken after installing the brand new Skype Version 4.0 which demonstrates how much more intuitive touchscreen + finger interaction is than mouse + pointer.

Guest post by Senior Care founders

The inspiration for the development of SeniorCare.ie was derived from personal family experience. Frustrated by the lack of online information on support and care services available to older people in Ireland, we began planning in the summer of 2006 and launched our website in April 2007. We have been growing strongly since. 

Our original goal was to set up a comprehensive directory of support services. Although that still remains our priority, we have several new features in development which should encourage greater interaction among our visitors and provide more essential information: 

• The SeniorCare Jobs Board is currently in development. It will be targeted to jobs in the area of senior care (Home Care, Nursing Homes etc.) in Ireland
• The SeniorCare Discussion Forum is also being developed. This will allow our visitors to interact, ask questions, find answers and connect with one another
• Resource Pages with a variety of pertinent information on Home Care Packages, Nursing Home Subvention and other relevant information regarding entitlements for older people

 

We provide relevant Articles, Events and News Features to keep our visitors updated on developments in the area of elderly care in Ireland. Our monthly E-Newsletter launched in November 2008 and has been very well received. You can sign up for this on our homepage.  

Our marketing efforts are primarily focused on Online Marketing. This includes Google Adwords campaigns, Search Engine Optimisation and several other non-interruptive forms of advertising. So far, this approach has paid off. We rank in the Top 10 on Google.ie for all of our categories and receive between 2,500 and 3,000 highly targeted visitors per month.  

We are looking forward to our busiest year yet in 2009. Feedback on our website is very important to us, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch. The needs of older people in Ireland are growing year on year, and we will grow with them. 

Please visit us at www.seniorcare.ie. 

- Conor and Sheila, SeniorCare.ie Partners

Pseudo-3D Video Conferencing with a regular Webcam

The video below doesn't do justice to the pseudo-3D video conferencing effect Chris Harrison and his fellow researchers are achieving with their relatively simple technique using nothing more than a regular webcam. The effect is much more dramatic and convincing when animated and viewed in person. Nevertheless it's worth watching to get an idea of how much this system can enhance the experience.

"When conversing with someone via video conference, you are provided with a virtual window into their space. However, this currently remains both flat and fixed, limiting its immersiveness. Previous research efforts have explored the use of 3D in telecommunication, and show that the additional realism can enrich the video conference experience.

However, existing systems require complex sensor and cameras setups that make them infeasible for widespread adoption. We present a method for producing a pseudo-3D experience using only a single generic webcam at each end. This means nearly any computer currently able to video conference can use our technique, making it readily adoptable. Although using comparatively simple techniques, the 3D result is convincing" -