The challenge 

Brainport Smart District is a project that is currently being developed in Helmond. It is divided into seven program lines. One of them is the Healthy area. Its rationale is creating a sustainable health care system that is divided into two main approaches namely, prevention on the one hand, and extramural care on the other hand. Both are based on the use of technology to monitor and treat the patients from their own homes. Thus, one of the ongoing projects that addresses the possibilities of this new system is the Lifecycle-proof living with Lister Buildings. The design is based on the idea that both home and environment can contribute to the prevention and alleviation of the symptoms that are associated with increasing old age. Now, monitoring patients' health by using smart sensors or similar technologies encompass a great deal of ethical considerations such as the possible infringement of autonomy, privacy, free-will, just to name a few.

The solution

The goal of this project is drawing a moral consideration list that helps us identify the risks and prospects of this kind of system so users can experience comfort, safety, and well-being. In order to do so, the philosophical theory of Principlism would be applied. Three main steps would be followed, viz. 1. Scan the lister building project; 2. Draw some possible scenarios; 3. State long-term ethical assessment.

This project is being coached by