Touch Screens and 3D are Not Only Cool - They're Life Changers

Innovations like touchscreens and 3D technology are more than just cool—when they're integrated with patient therapies, they can truly change people's lives. Take the Sprout Pro by HP, which combines an all-in-one desktop with an integrated projector, a touch-mat display, and 2D and 3D capture capabilities. Doctors and social workers are utilizing its intuitive, all-touch interface to help their patients learn and collaborate. And simple but powerful machines such as All-in-One PCs are improving the lives of seniors looking to connect with the outside world. Here are a few examples of innovative tech being used to help some of the people who need it most.

Case study: Dr. Erin Partridge, PhD, ATR-BC, art therapist at Elder Care Alliance, California

The goal: To investigate communication needs and experiences of elders with the Sprout by HP to help support patient-directed elder care.

The story: The world's senior population is growing, and there are more Alzheimer's diagnoses than ever before. How can we help these seniors—many of whom are nonverbal or minimally verbal—communicate and connect with others? That's the goal of Dr. Partridge, who used the Sprout as a tool to help nonverbal seniors “amplify their voices” through art-based projects. Seniors were asked to pose a jointed human figure on the Sprout and color around it to communicate how they were feeling; they also collaborated on a group mural project. The sensitivity of the Sprout's touch mat, the familiar flat on the desk or table position, and the immediacy of working with their fingers gave participants an experience similar to drawing on paper, but without the difficulty of gripping, applying pressure, and drawing or writing by hand. “Participants in this study were able to interact with the Sprout without much assistance or intervention,” Dr. Partridge says.

Case study: Selfhelp Community Services, Inc., a non-profit senior center in NYC

The goal: To build a “Virtual Senior Center” that leverages HP All-in-One PCs to deliver rich content and connectivity to homebound seniors.

The story: Selfhelp Community Services is helping homebound seniors in New York—and around the country—connect through its “Virtual Senior Center.” Seniors who are part of the VSC network take part in live classes, museum-hosted tours, current events discussions, and other online events. It's designed to combat isolation and provide mental stimulation; and by requiring participants to attend at least four classes a week, it also encourages camaraderie and friendship. Selfhelp's top choice for VSC participants is the HP All-in-One PC. “It's an enterprise-grade device with a great touchscreen and fast processing,” says David Dring, executive director of Selfhelp Innovations. “The HP AiO is easy to use, and its power and speed handle the video streaming of VSC classes with ease.” Combining a crisp monitor and CPU in one unit, the HP AiO also incorporates a webcam, microphone, and speakers. The small footprint with fewer cables makes it ideal for use by seniors. And the touchscreen makes the device accessible for people who cannot easily grip a mouse.

Case study: Pioneer Center for Human Services, a non-profit human services center in Illinois

The goal: To enhance life, social, independent living, vocational, and recreational skills for those with developmental and intellectual disabilities using the Sprout by HP.

The story: For adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Pioneer Center often picks up where traditional public schools leave off: helping clients to set and achieve personal goals, whether they're focused on the simple activities of daily living, having a career, or volunteering in the community. The center encourages clients to learn technical skills, but some clients are unable to master a keyboard and mouse due to difficulties with fine motor skills, and touch-based consumer tablets are often too small for them to use. Enter the Sprout. “For some clients, just being able to work with a computer in a natural position, with their head down, is helpful for them,” explains Vance Christy, IT manager at Pioneer Center. “Using the Touch Mat gives them the ability to exercise their motor skills.” There are two ways Pioneer clients use the Sprout: Some engage with the unique Sprout workspace, which integrates image capture, editing, and manipulation, while others use the Windows environment to run touch-enabled applications, including Microsoft Office, to grow their workplace skillset. In both cases, “What we're seeing is that the tactile experience of working with the HP Touch Mat is helping clients achieve new things with the computer,” adds DJ Newport, director of Vocational and IDD Day Services.

Sprout by HP continues to be a top choice for makers, and the new HP Elite x3 is the first 3-in-1 device[1] that combines PC power and productivity, tablet portability, and smartphone connectivity. Both are sleek, powerful machines—machines that can help users at all levels communicate, connect, and grow.

Computing is now interactive with technology that empowers you. Explore the new Sprout Pro by HP introduced at CES 2017

[1] Based on HP's internal analysis as of May 11, 2016 of mobile devices delivering phablet, laptop, and desktop business productivity, preinstalled with Windows 10 Mobile, MIL-STD 810G and IP67 testing, the ability to run virtualized corporate apps on a big screen using an optional dock, and a biometric solution for security.