READY? – The reflective dialog tool for potential use of robotics for nursing care

“READY?” is a reflective dialog tool developed within the BeBeRobot research project, with contributions from the University of Siegen (Chair of Information Systems, especially “IT for the Ageing Society,” Prof. Dr. Claudia Müller and Dr. Richard Paluch). It is designed to support stakeholders from care facilities and services in their reflection on the use of robotic systems for nursing care. It includes a digitally supported question catalog, collaboratively completed in on-site workshops with multiple stakeholder groups. The catalog covers the following categories: “Care”, “Privacy and Legal Issues”, “Ethical Criteria”, “Technology and Infrastructure”, “Institutional and Social Embeddedness”, and “Economic Criteria” (Paluch et al. 2025, https://doi.org/10.1515/icom-2025-0010). The question catalog is available at the following link: https://github.com/BeBeRobot/Bewertungstool

Complementing the tool, the moderation handbook provides practical guidance for preparing, conducting, and following up on reflection processes related to the use of robotics for nursing care with “READY?”. It includes frameworks, appropriation suggestions and moderation recommendations to support structured and open discussions during workshops. The handbook can be downloaded here: https://www.pflege-und-robotik.de/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Moderationshandbuch_READY.pdf

The conceptual foundations and scientific background of the tool are described in the academic article “READY? – Reflective dialog tool on issues relating to the use of robotic systems for nursing care” by Lienenbrink et al. (2025): https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/icom-2024-0043/html

Children presented innovative things from the Fab Lab

After intensive workshops, the Zukunft Akademie celebrated its final event in the Fab Lab of the University of Siegen. Ten talented children presented their creative graduation projects in an interactive project gallery.

They are between 12 and 16 years old, but have great technical and creative skills: Ten young participants participated in workshop modules in the Fab Lab, the creative workshop of the University of Siegen, in the past five months. At the end they presented their projects. The children combined AI-generated stories with 3D-printed models and interactive touch sensors that they had programmed with the Calliope Mini.

First, each group presented their project in three minutes. Afterwards, the jury and the guests had the opportunity to evaluate the projects. The evaluation was based on the criteria: innovation, creativity and originality, technical implementation, narrative structure, visual/sound design and presentation skills.

The winning projects are:

1. Place: Dawn of Tribes by Émile Julian Schneider – Price: Calliope Mini Microcontroller
2. Place: The Last Loaf by Dorothea Breichler – Price: PLA filaments for 3D printing
3. Place: A debt unpaid by David Fedorenko and Vladyslav Halevych – Price: Arduino Uno Microcontroller

In addition to the main prizes, all received a certificate of participation from the University of Siegen as well as a personalized, laser-engraved badge in recognition of their individual achievements in the various modules.

Parents, guests and the jury were impressed by the innovative power and commitment of the children. They had participated in a total of five workshop modules: 3D printing and 3D modeling, programming with Calliope Mini, sugar measurement with the photometer, storytelling with AI, interactive storytelling.

The Zukunft Akademie is part of the project EnvironMINT, an application-oriented research project that deals with the creative teaching of STEM topics (mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology) to young people. The participatory approach is particularly noteworthy: Together with young people, parents, teachers and practical actors, a concept for extracurricular STEM activities is being developed. The focus is on so-called maker activities, which include not only technological but also artistic aspects.

The project EnvironMINT is a research project of the University of Siegen and is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

The Fab Lab Siegen is rensed by Prof. Dr. Claudia Müller. The management and project management are in the hands of Marios Mouratidis. The research assistants Karina Oliveira, Ontika Nazmun and Hina Firdaus are responsible for the content and operational planning of the Zukunft Academy.

In the picture (top row, from left): Timofii Tkachenko, Artem Korovushkin, Adam Kostiv, Dorothea Breichler, David Fedorenko, Vlad Halevych, Marios Mouratidis, Karina Oliveira, Nazmun Ontika, Hina Firdaus. Bottom row (from left): Makar Halevych, Émile Julian Schneider, Kirill Giesbrecht.

Dr. Richard Paluch elected as new co-spokesperson of the Committee on Ageing and Technology

At the DGGG Congress in Kassel in September 2024, Dr. Richard Paluch was elected co-spokesperson of the Expert Committee on Ageing and Technology. The Expert Committee on Ageing and Technology is committed to practical solutions that help to improve the quality of life of older people through the targeted use of socio-technical innovations: https://fa-alter-technik.de/.

Dr. Richard Paluch will contribute the socio-informatics perspective and will be particularly committed to interdisciplinary cooperation and the practice-based and participatory (further) development of user-centred technologies.

Information and discussion event on the electronic patient record (ePA)

The electronic patient record (ePA) was launched in Germany on January 15, 2025. This means a further step towards a more digitalized healthcare system. Health data can now be stored and processed more easily, e.g. the exchange of medical documents between doctors, pharmacists, clinics and patients is made easier as documents are available digitally now. However, the introduction of the ePA is not only associated with advantages, but also with challenges, unanswered questions and concerns, e.g. regarding data protection.

In cooperation with the digital doctors’ and health center (DFGZ) in Olpe of the “Spieren & Kollegen” doctor’s office (https://spieren.de/dfgz/), the chair “Information Systems, esp. IT for the Ageing Society“ therefore held an information and discussion event simultaneously on site in Olpe and Siegen on 8 January 2025. The doctor’s office “Spieren & Kollegen” invited its patients to Olpe, where experts from a medical association (KVWL) and representatives of health insurance companies gave presentations and answered questions. This was broadcast live to the University of Siegen, where interested researchers, students and citizens came together to join in the discussion online.

This was followed by a second part in Siegen. Digitization expert and member of the state parliament Julia Eisentraut (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, https://julia-eisentraut.de/) opened up political perspectives on the topic and then answered questions from the participants. Bernd Mäckeler from the group “Grüne Alte” in Siegen was also involved in preparing the event. Together with his colleagues and with the support of the chair, he is committed to promoting the digital skills of older adults in Siegen and the surrounding area.

From the chair sub-project A05 “The Cooperative creation of user autonomy in the context of the ageing society” of the Collaborative Research Centre “Media of Cooperation”, represented by Dennis Kirschsieper, and the sub-projects “Health & Ageing” and “Social & Inclusion” of the FUSION project, represented by Stephan Krayter, were involved in the organization and implementation of the event. Further cooperative events on the digitalization of the healthcare system are planned in order to involve citizens in research and to jointly improve medical treatment and social care in the region.

Kickoff for the Local Urban Movement Laboratory (“Siegener Bewegungslabor”)

Researchers at the University of Siegen together with actors from sports, dance, arts and the city of Siegen work to bring the joy of movement into the city with the use of digital applications on site.

How can we encourage more enjoyment of movement, especially in the city? And how can digital tools help – whether alone or with others, at home or in the office or outside? To answer these questions about sports and exercise in urban space, experts from the University of Siegen are collaborating with relevant local stakeholders. (more…)

Increase quality – research qualitatively

Today, user-centered and participatory design methods have become indispensable in modern HCI research and user-centered development. Use of such methods can help us to gain realistic insights into current practices, co-produce sustainable concepts and solutions and understand how digital tools can be appropriated in a more sustainable way.

Not only students of the University of Siegen are welcome, but everyone who is interested in qualitative research in user-centered design.

We look forward to numerous participants and feel free to share this invitation.

Meet & Greet for the winter semester 2020/21: Who we are which courses we offer

Welcome to the new semester at the University of Siegen!

Last week at the Meet & Greet our colleagues and we, the research group “Business Informatics, especially IT for the Aging Society” introduced ourselves. We not only talked about ourselves, but also about our projects and the teaching offered.

As requested by you, we are happy to provide you with the presentation and the information it contains

SINN-i project partners on a research trip to South Africa

As part of the BMBF-funded third-party project "SINN-i", David Struzek travelled with project partners of the Technical University of Munich, the Innovationsmanufaktur (Munich) and of the General German Bicycle Club (ADFC) to South Africa at the beginning of January 2020. Through the visit to Stellenbosch and Durban the team was able to establish important contacts and gain helpful impressions for the project "Active City Innovation" on site, which will enrich further research in the experimental scenario "Public Dance".

 Further information about the trip can be found in the current SINN-i newsletter: PDF

Carinus Lemmer (Stellenbosch Fietsry NPC), Franziska Krüger (Innovation Manufacture), Hugo Gabele (University of Applied Sciences Esslingen), Fozzy Moritz (Innovation Manufacture), Nicolette Booyens (SEED), Armin Falkenhein (ADFC Bayern), Jan Ellinger (TUM), David Struzek (University Siegen))

Call for tender for various final/project work within the IDES KMU project

The assistant professorship “Business Informatics, esp. IT for the aging society” offers a range of new topics for project and final theses.

The different topics revolve around the topic of “accessibility” in the context of IT workplaces and include field studies and technical (further) developments of supporting tools.

You will find all advertised topics on the website of the assistant professorship “Business Informatics, esp. IT for the aging society“.

If you have your own topic ideas, please let us know your suggestions.

Info: https://italg.wineme.uni-siegen.de/en/abschlussarbeiten/

Contact for project and thesis work around barrier-free IT and barrier-free IT workplaces:

Sven Bittenbinder

Room: US-E 117 (Campus Unteres Schloss)
 Phone: 0271 740-4470
 Mail: sven.bittenbinder@uni-siegen.de

Radio interview lifetime (Deutschlandfunk): Outside in front of and disconnected, living without internet

Some live, at least temporarily, without the Internet out of conviction, others have no other choice in the dead zone: more than eleven million people in Germany are digitally on the sidelines. Especially women of retirement age with low education are permanently offline. In this radio interview on the Lifespan program of Deutschlandfunk, Claudia Müller, together with BAGSO Vice Chairwoman Dr. Regine Görner and moderator Andreas Stopp, talks to listeners on the phone about their experiences and motivations regarding the Internet and digitization.

Not everyone feels left behind, many of them deliberately use other ways to obtain information or maintain contacts. But at the latest when bank transfers, tax returns or travel can only be handled online, the question of equal participation in society arises. To what extent are senior citizens particularly affected? Are there enough purely analogue offers or are these discontinued models? Will citizens sooner or later be forced to buy appropriate equipment and acquire Internet skills? Will PCs and smartphones open up new horizons and contact possibilities for them, making their everyday lives easier? Or will it complicate their analog form of existence?

Click here for the whole radio interview Lebenszeit (Deutschlandfunk – Only in german): Living without Internet.