Imagining the Future: Life in 2025

Wearable tech, smart kitchen gadgets, the quantified self – technological trends that are sexy novelties today could hold the key to the developed world’s looming social care crisis. IRISS, the Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services has commissioned three reports to look at the way technological and social changes will alter the way we care for elderly and vulnerable people in as little as ten years’ time.

The research from Scotland concludes that although the population might be growing older and incidence of diabetes, dementia and obesity are causing increasing strain on health and social services, by exploring new and developing technologies the elderly might be able to lead a richer and safer life. The report considers everything from robotics to home security and artificial sensing devices.

To illustrate the report, IRISS commissioned filmmaker Federico Fiore to create an animated snapshot of life in 2025. The film tells the story of Alex Chisholm, a divorced man in his 70s who suffers from dementia, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Alex has been created to help make the report engaging and digestible for as broad a range of the Scottish population as possible and to inspire debate.

 It shows how intelligent kitchen appliances, smart watches and health monitoring devices might help him navigate daily life. The animated short is accompanied by links to relevant sections of the report, so that viewers can make sense of the  IRISS findings as they relate to Alex.

Imagining the Future comprises of  three reports covering the workforce, citizenship and enabling technology.

You can see the film here.