We are proud to share that finally, the first of our recently scouted smart care solutions is entering into the piloting phase in Hungary!

- AmigoBox - the first video call experience for older people -

A couple of senior citizens have set out on a special task in Hungary last week: with their help, OSSI Austria – Open Source for Social Inclusion can test for a month its "AmigoBox" device in two test towns of D-CARE project (Kaba and Kecskemét-Hetényegyháza). 

"When I had difficulties keeping in touch with my grandmother during the first wave of COVID, as she was very resistant to using modern digital tools, I teamed up with my software developer friend. We designed and created the AmigoBox: a device that uses modern technology to make it much easier for older people to stay in touch with their loved ones and carers." - said Gusztav Ottrubay, the young president of the OSSI.

But how come an Austrian company is testing their new solution in Hungary? - Well, there are several reasons for that: on the one hand, Gusztav has Hungarian family ties, and on the other hand, OSSI Austria applied with its solution to our innovation contest of the international Interreg-DTP D-CARE project in Hungary. They won the Innovation prize, which gave them the opportunity to test their AmigoBox structure in a real environment. They are supported by the Hungarian partners of the D-CARE project (DBH Innohub Kft., CédrusNet Program and the Municipality of Kaba). After e-mail delivery in March, the innovation prize certificate could be also handed over in person to OSSI Austria by the Hungarian innovation program coordinator, Edit Lakó-Tóth from CédrusNet Prgoram.

Testing is an important experience in its own sense, but the cooperation does not stop there. Our D-CARE experts will also assist in the development of the business model. In this way, we hope to see many of these digital friends assisting our senior citizens in their communication with friends and relatives in the future.During handovers of AmigoBoxes, we experienced, for example, the joy of a senior citizen making the first video call of their life and that in fact, the digital world is not so complicated once it is designed to meet the needs of older adults.

D-CARE project has engaged in scouting and selecting smart care solutions in all eight project countries through an innovation contest running at the beginning of 2022. Of the throughout highly interesting solutions each country selected the ones fitting the regional challenges best. With at least one of these solutions each country’s project partners entered into a co-creation phase with users and other stakeholders engaged in health and care in each country. The co-created solutions will now be piloted in real-life environments to make their solution ready for roll-out or refine their business model.