Why CIREI?

Almost every day, it seems, the number of available digital devices, such as smartphones, smart watches and smart speakers, is growing. While, on the one hand, this means that we have a greater choice of new technologies to help make our lives better, it also means that it can be difficult to keep up with all these different devices and systems. What’s more, it feels like each of these devices acts on its own: if we could connect them all, so that they “talk” to each other and act together, we could get so much more out of them.

The CIREI project is doing the basic engineering that will make it easier to connect different devices in and around our homes. This means that, for example, you could control a new home-help robot using your existing smartphone. And your smartphone could automatically tell the robot when you’re nearly home and it’s time to put the kettle on! It also means that we can collect data about you and your routines, and, with your consent, share this with your family, friends or doctors so they can see how you’re getting on.

During the current project, CIREI will give some demonstrations of how this works and what it means for people. If these demonstrations are successful, the next steps are to include additional devices and connect you to more smart services to do more things, and to ask potential users, housing and care staff, and healthcare professionals to tell us how best to use these new connections.