Combining technology and the humanities, the Smart Home is a place of experimentation, innovation, and training for researchers and students.
It is a meeting place for socio-economic actors, industrialists, and local authorities.
It addresses a current issue that is a major societal challenge: supporting aging populations with or without disabilities.
The Smart Home is located on the campus of IUT of Blagnac, as part of the Université Toulouse Jean Jaurès, and is part of the network of platforms of the la MSHS de Toulouse (Maison des Sciences de l’Homme et de la Société). It stands out for its original approach, which is to bring together a group of multi- and interdisciplinary actors from the fields of technology, humanities, social sciences, and medicine.
Inaugurated in November 2010, it is the result of a partnership between project leaders and funders, including academics, institutions, and industry. First and foremost among these is the Mairie de Blagnac, the main financial supporter and a partner convinced of the importance of this achievement and its applications.
A framework agreement links Université Toulouse Jean Jaurès, LAAS and IRIT. It has also been working very closely for several years with Gérontopôle and the La Grave Gerontechnology Laboratory at Toulouse University Hospital.
It is a controlled environment for volunteers without progressive pathologies from the Laboratoire de Gérontechnologie La Grave. This collaboration highlights the complementary nature of the geriatric department at Toulouse University Hospital, which conducts technological research with sick volunteers, and the smart home, which allows for better consideration of the specific needs of the elderly population outside of the hospital environment and curative healthcare.
Since September 2017, The smart Home has been certified by the ARS (Agence Régionale de Santé) as a non-profit medical research facility, making it a unique structure dedicated to technology accessibility in the Occitanie region.
It is a member of the Forum LLSA. It is the Living Lab for innovation in technologies for healthy aging, prevention, and compensation for dependency at the national center of expertise in Cognitive Stimulation (STIMCO) for the South of France.