Health and care pose significant challenges to researchers in that methods of engagements with user groups need to be long term, and in depth in order to be productive. Researchers need to be very sensitive to the ways in which research is done in these areas, and not to interfere with existing procedures and systems.

Two areas of research have been undertaken. The first is a cluster of projects based around supporting the day-to-day life of a care home. Technology interventions in such a situation cannot involve sweeping changes to routine, but need to consider the potential impacts on personal relationships. It is also a situation where the risks of partial or intermittent failure of technology need to be considered. However, in balance the use of technology has increasing the quality of life for the user group. These projects have progressed by studying a particular care home , and making three technology interventions: Medipic, SMS Public Display and XBox.

The second cluster of projects is a series of experiments that investigate how immersive virtual environment (IVEs) can help phobia sufferers. Therapy is one of the most exciting emerging application areas of IVEs. Our focus has been on phobias that involve social or inter-personal relationships. A series of studies have looked at how IVEs might be applicable to treatment Agoraphobia. Our technical and theoretical approach to studies has again had to reflect the nature of the application area, and our experiments have been carefully designed to demonstrate that IVEs have appropriate effects, leaving pre-clinical trials to colleagues in clinical departments.