Objective MART is studying how developments in the European telecommunications environment may affect the take-up of rehabilitation technology applications.The focus of the MART horizontal activity is on the requirements of those applications of rehabilitation technology (RT) which involve a telecommunications dimension, such as alarm services, interpersonal communication, remote care, teleshopping, distance working and distance learning.The development and diffusion of these applications will depend on the extent to which the appropriate telecommunications facilities are available and on whether customers are willing or able to pay for them. Application developers, service providers, user organisations, industry and policy makers all need up-to-date information about these issues. MART aims to provide this information by analysing the requirements of applications and mapping these to the realities of the telecommunications world.Technical Approach : The technical approach of MART is organised into four activities. First, the range of existing and emerging telecommunications-based RT applications in the EU and EFTA countries will be identified and their requirements for telecommunications facilities will be analysed. Second, the key characteristics of the mainstream telecommunications environment will be identified and described for each country. Third, the key aspects of social policy of relevance for these applications will be identified for each country. Finally, these three aspects of the work - requirements, telecommunications situation, and social policy - will be integrated into demand scenarios. These scenarios will estimate how the potential demand for applications can vary under different circumstances.Impact and Expected Results : The main impact of the project will result from its demonstration of the ways in which telecommunications policy and practice can affect the take-up of telecommunications-based RT applications. This will provide a useful input to user organisations (understanding of telecommunications developments), application developers and service providers (what telecommunications facilities are likely to be available), telecommunications industry (requirements and potential demand in the RT sector) and policy makers (how to facilitate the take-up of useful applications). Programme(s) HS-TIDE 1 - Technology initiative (EEC) for disabled and elderly people (TIDE), 1993-1994 Topic(s) 1.3 - Telecommunication and teleinformation Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator Work Research Centre Ltd EU contribution No data Address 22 Northumberland Road Dublin 4 Ireland See on map Total cost No data Participants (2) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all EMPIRICA GESELLSCHAFT FUER KOMMUNIKATIONS- UND TECHNOLOGIEFORSCHUNG MBH Germany EU contribution No data Address OXFORDSTRASSE 2 53111 BONN See on map Total cost No data Institut de l'Audiovisuel et des Télécommunications en Europe France EU contribution No data Address 34092 Montpellier See on map Total cost No data