Participants in this fall’s LeadingAge HackFest will have the opportunity to use HP Sprout, an immersive 3D computer technology from Hewlett Packard (HP), to create a technology-driven tool aimed at improving the lives of older adults and their families.
News of the collaboration between LeadingAge and HP was announced during the White House Conference on Aging (WHCOA) on July 13.
“We were excited to see WHCOA’s Fact Sheet list LeadingAge as an aging services technology leader,” said a LeadingAge statement.
HP is a LeadingAge CAST Supporter and Champion Sponsor of this year’s HackFest.
In addition to HP Sprout hardware, HackFest participants will have access to drivers, system development kits and technical support on-site.
“Each year we challenge ourselves to improve HackFest and the experience of participants,” said CAST Executive Director Majd Alwan. “I am thrilled that we are bringing this truly unique platform to our HackFest participants and I’m eager to see the innovative tools participants will develop for older adults and their caregivers based on HP Sprout.”
Federal Aging Data Set
LeadingAge and LeadingAge CAST also worked with the Office of Science and Technology Policy to make aging-related open Federal data available to HackFest participants.
“HackFest brings younger developers together with older adults to create a truly collaborative environment for addressing the myriad issues we’re all likely to face as we age,” said Chip Burns, chief information officer of CAST Patron The Asbury Communities, a HackFest coordinator, and a CAST Commissioner. “Add HP’s Sprout platform and the federal data to that intergenerational mix, and you’ve got the potential for the creation of some truly transformational technology.”
HackFest participants and interested readers can experience HP Sprout for themselves at one of the many HP Storesavailable nationwide, including 2 BestBuy and one Microsoft Experience stores in the Boston area. Find a store near you to experience this transformational technology for yourself.
About LeadingAge HackFest
The LeadingAge HackFest is a 2-day event that challenges teams to create a technology-driven tool for older adults and their families. The 2015 HackFest takes place on the campus of the University of Massachusetts Boston on Oct. 30-Nov. 1.
University and college students, as well as national and local area special interest groups focused on the aging population, will be participating in HackFest. An older adult and a professional in the field of aging services will work with each team to ensure that HackFest designs are user-centered.
Visit LeadingAgeHackFest.org to learn more about, apply to participate in, or sponsor this year's event in Boston.