ROOMMATE Project was present in the Romanian National Conference of IHeath and Technology in the Medicine of XXI century, Edition 2026. This interdisciplinary event is annually organised by the George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology from Targu Mures, under the tutelage of the Romanian Academy and of the Romanian Academy of medical Sciences, honouring the patron of the university – the Romanian Noble prize winner for discovering the ribosomes. The conference puts together students in all scientific domains, experts from healthcare and high tech, academia and top researchers in the crucible of inter- and transdiciplinarity.

Psychologist PhD Andreea Marin from Roommate UMFCD team presented the concept of ROOMMATE and the cocreation results along with the challenges of nowadays stroke rehabilitation ROOMMATE can bridge, to the diverse audience including physical therapists, medical doctors, students of UMFST, technology researchers and developers. Ileana Ciobanu acknowledged also the importance of the informative an educational component of Roommate intervention and of the digital and e-health Coach, in a synergic work about the need for lifelong learning for healthcare professionals, researchers and patients as well, in the XXI century, in the context of rapid technological developments.

The Biomedical and Biorobotics Lab (PI Filippo Cavallo) of the University of Florence, department of Industrial Engineering (UNIFI), presented work within ROOMMATE Project in the European Robotic Forum 2026, scientific event held during 23-27 March 2026, in the spectacular scenery of Stavanger, Norway. The European Robotics Forum (ERF) is the leading event for the European robotics and AI community, bringing together around 1,000 participants from industry, academia, and the public sector.

UNIFI team presented a poster and a demo showing new developments regarding their solution able to support motor functions evaluation. They named it STROKEFIT. STROKEFIT system integrates wearable inertial sensors, an RGB-D Intel RealSense camera, and a NAO humanoid robot acting as a coaching companion. The robot explains selected FMA upper-limb tasks and provides performance-related feedback based on multimodal kinematic analysis, while therapists receive objective quantitative metrics extracted via synchronized sensor fusion pipelines. This way, objective quantified assessments can be conducted by the patient even without the presence of the therapist, and the respective data are securely stored and used to document progress for people undergoing rehabilitation personalised programs.

ROOMMATE Project Consortium meetings are always a great opportunity for applied discussions and solution finding. The Consortium in person meeting was hosted by the technical University in Delft, in The Netherlands. Representatives of all ROOMMATE partner organisations provided relevant insight in their activities and challenges related to project implementation and the basis for the future project activities were founded. The cmRCT study 1 is in development in both pilot sites – in Italy and Romania - and a lot of living lab testing activities are prepared as we speak.

The International Conference on Psychology and Educational Sciences took place in Ploiesti, 7-8.11.2025.

During this interdisciplinary international event, UMFCD team, represented by Andreea, presented the work: Living Lab Activities for the Development of Digital Solutions in Neurocognitive Rehabilitation: Opportunities for Long-Term, Home-Based, Self-Managed Neurorehabilitation Programs. The presentations included results of the Living lab activities in ROOMMATE Project, with accent on the implications for the Romanian stroke patients, their families and the healthcare system.

The Living Lab activities involved patients who had suffered a stroke, their family members, and healthcare professionals, who were tasked with evaluating the usability and effectiveness of the presented digital solutions. Participants appreciated the digital solutions, particularly the educational content, cognitive training applications, and those designed for language and communication skill stimulation. The usability of the solution was well appreciated, but aspects of the visual and auditory interface were identified that could be improved. Furthermore, constant guidance from the therapist is needed to adjust the difficulty level and monitor the therapeutic process.

The digital solutions tested in the living lab activities proved to be safe, intuitive, and easy to use, with significant potential to improve long-term neurocognitive rehabilitation programs, supporting self-managed interventions at home. Based on the feedback received, the presented digital solution will be improved and tested in a pilot study conducted in Romania, where assistive technologies used in neurocognitive rehabilitation therapy are rapidly expanding.

In Romania, the recovery of patients with neurological/neurocognitive disorders increasingly benefits from digital solutions. These solutions allow patients to follow personalized therapy programs that adapt to each individual's needs. However, there are significant challenges regarding the accessibility and adoption of these technologies. A correct approach, in the best interest of the individual, involves utilizing the person’s free time for self-managed neurocognitive rehabilitation interventions in an environment that ensures an optimal level of safety and comfort, thus contributing to the increase of intensity and effectiveness of the neurocognitive rehabilitation program.

During the XVII edition of the National Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics in Romania, which took place on 29.10-1.11.2025, in the Romanian Academy in Bucharest, in hybrid format, UMFCD team presented in collaboration with traditional partners the synergic work STIMULI - ENRICHED ENVIRONMENTS AND THE FUNCTIONING OF THE HUMAN BEING.

The constellations of environment stimuli are essential in generating and maintaining from vigil state to decision-making capabilities. The diversity and complexity of our environments push us to learn and develop adaptive behaviours, aimed to optimise our lives in terms of energy expenditure, resources and success.

Combining team's experience in interdisciplinary research and development with bibliographic research, the work showed how learned and innate behaviours shape continuously through conditioning. All novelties appearing in the natural, as well as in the anthropic environment bring challenges and ask for new learning and adaptation. The environments rich and enriched in stimuli are of extreme importance in generating, growing and strengthening the neural networks of the child, but they continue to shape us along our whole lives, through natural and complex mechanisms involving nervous and endocrine system, stimulating and improving cognitive, physical as well as emotional and social functioning. The diversity and dynamics of the stimuli assaulting our sensors talk to us about a universe of surprises we are happy to meet.

The American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine took place in Chicago on 27-30 October 2025. FDG ROOMMATE team presented the co-creation methodology applied in our project and the results of these activities. The title of the work: Co-creation of a technology-supported ecosystem for subactute stroke care: preliminary results of the ROOMMATE Project.

The ROOMMATE project explores the co-creation of a bedside, technology-supported ecosystem for sub-acute stroke rehabilitation, involving patients, caregivers, and rehabilitation professionals. Through questionnaires and focus groups conducted in Italy and Romania, the study identified key needs such as accessible and intuitive technology, improved communication, and the inclusion of recreational activities. Despite initial concerns about tablet use, all patients valued the support of trained coaches, highlighting the importance of guided technology adoption. These stakeholder insights have directly informed the design of the ROOMMATE ecosystem and are now guiding the development of digital rehabilitation and educational modules to be validated in the next trial phase.

UMFCD Congress ed XII, took place on 23-25.10.2025, in the Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest (the heaviest building in the world and the largest civilian administrative building, featuring over 1,000 rooms, massive amounts of marble, steel, and crystal, and is also named "The People’s House").

UMFCD team presented ROOMMATE Project with an e-poster showing results of the co-creation activities in ROOMMATE. Participants in co-creation activities not only appreciated the solution envisaged by ROOMMATE Consortium, but also made suggestions aiming to improve the user experience and benefits.

The indicative of the poster: ID:1051. Improving Patient's Experience in Stroke Rehabilitation through the Use of Digital Technologies – ROOMMATE Project. The abstract is published at in pag 52. Maedica – A journal of clinical medicine, Volume 20, Supplement 2025 - Congress of „CAROL DAVILA” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest (October 23rd-25th 2025), ISSN: 2501-6903 ISSN-L: 2501-6903.

The National Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine took place on 15-18.10.2025, in Poiana Brasov, in the premises of K2 Conference Center.

Andreea presented “ROOMMATE PROJECT – RESULTS OF A USABILITY STUDY”, as oral presentation, The abstract is published in the event's abstract volume, page 57.

Solutions are looked for, developed and implemented continuously to meet the needs of stroke patients and rehabilitation healthcare professionals, in order to optimise the outcomes of rehabilitation programs. One direction is to optimise the use of hospitalisation time by providing patient and family caregivers with supplementary information regarding stroke rehabilitation. Another one is to use the free time of the patient for self-managed rehabilitation interventions in a safe environment, increasing the intensity of the rehabilitation program. The participants in ROOMMATE living-lab activities appreciated the solution, especially the educational content, the cognitive stimulation and the language therapy training serious games. Non-functional aspects of the visual interface may be refined to improve the experience of people with visual deficits or with low digital skills, in need for more explicative information related to the technical tasks. Considered safe, easy to understand and to navigate and generous, the solution will be refined and tested in a pilot impact study.

The educational event took place in the gorgeous Tuscan environment in Fiesole, 16-19 June 2025.

MEDAC summer schools provides high quality certified education programs, focused on dedicated case studies, stimulating debates on current regulatory and legal reference frameworks, and multidisciplinary working groups over a period of 4 days. The theme of this year’s event is the status, opportunities, and challenges related to the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the healthcare sector.

During MEDEA Academy 2025 edition, MEDEA organised Tuesday June 17th, 2025, 14.30- 17.00 “The vision of the reference stakeholders” Stakeholders Symposium

Prof. Francesca Cecchi, Principal Investigator of the ROOMMATE project, participated in the Stakeholders Symposium as a representative of Healthcare Research Centres – Rehabilitation Unit. Drawing on her team's active involvement in ROOMMATE, she addressed the need for robust digital infrastructure and the key barriers that must be overcome to fully harness the potential of innovative solutions in the healthcare sector. Her contribution focused on the value expected by reference stakeholders, as well as on the ROOMMATE project's experience in progressing toward meaningful and sustainable adoption.

UMFCD ROOMMATE team participated in the Summer-School for young medical doctors (resident physicians) in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM), teaching event organised by the Rehabilitation Clinical Hospital in Cluj-Napoca, and The University of Medicine from Cluj, 12-14 June 2025, in collaboration with Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy from Bucharest, with Physiomed and Novotech as technical partners and event sponsors. The theme of the event was Advanced Technologies for Medical Rehabilitation.

Participants in the summer school were 50 young MDs specialising in PRM. All were very curious and interested in Lessons learned from R&D projects of UMFCD Team, including ROOMMATE research methodology and technologies.

Doronzio S, Jansen-Kosterink S, Tesi M, Castagnoli C, Pedrini C, Ciapetti T, De Marco M, Piazzini M, Giacani J, Ciobanu I, Berteanu M, Fiorini L, Rovini E, Cavallo F, Agnoloni F, Baccini M, Cecchi F. Development of a cohort multiple randomized clinical trial to test an integrated system of sensors and multimedia monitors technology, for stroke rehabilitation: the ROOMMATE study protocol. Front Neurol. 2025 Oct 14;16:1568728. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2025.1568728. PMID: 41164394; PMCID: PMC12558804.

The event took place during 10-12 April 2025, in Parma (IT).

ROOMMATE Team presented our project concept and approach. The ROOMMATE project aims to co-create and evaluate a digital ecosystem for post-stroke rehabilitation, integrating immersive technologies and wearable sensors into routine clinical practice. Using a participatory co-creation approach and a cohort multiple RCT design, the study assesses feasibility, usability, user acceptance, and clinical effects on motor and cognitive outcomes. Beyond clinical impact, the project also evaluates the social and economic value of the intervention through a Social Return on Investment framework, with the explicit goal of developing a scalable and sustainable rehabilitation model.

Prof Francesca Cecchi presenting ROOMMATE. Michele Piazzini presenting in SIRN and FDG ROOMMATE Team in SIRN

Cluj Innovation Days 2025 was hosted, as traditionally, at the Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The theme of the 29-30 May event this year was MEDTECH – Transforming Healthcare through technology, Ethical, Human-Centric and AI-driven Solutions.

With 150 participants from industry, research and innovation, healthcare, academia, along with decision and policy makers, this interdisciplinary conference is always a great opportunity to share experience and put together people with same aims, generating new ideas and solutions for a better future with the use of advanced technologies.

UMFCD participated in a special panel dedicated to Healthcare systems transformation through technologies. Mrs Mara Diaconu from NTNU Norway, working in coordination and development of proposals and project ideas in the field of Health Technology for Active Ageing and Self-Management of Health, moderated the panel. UMFCD team presented and discussed Lessons learned from R&D Projects, including ROOMMATE Project.

Organised annually by The National School of Political Sciences and of Public Administration in Romania, the International Conference SmartCities 2024 took place in Bucharest, on 4-6 december.

With 30 participants on site, and 60 participants online, from all over the world, this event gathers representatives from e-governance, architecture and urbanism, smart solutions for sustainable ICT and IoT based cities.

The event is a wonderful opportunity to share ideas and research results and to discuss potential future collaborations and potential policies.

ROOMMATE team presented “Smart Urban Spaces for a Better Quality of Life - the Role of Intelligent Assistive Technologies”, showing synergic results of international funded projects developing assistive IoTs, receiving positive feedback and making new contacts.

UMFCD team received congratulations for the high level of interdisciplinarity of the work they always present in the International Conference SmartCities.

The cities and even the world itself became a hybrid space, due to the overlapping of the material spaces with the virtual spaces generated with information technologies easily accessible to all. The virtual world allows a different stratification of multiple simultaneous communities. The dilution of our social roles comes to counterbalance for the intensity of our involvement in the multitude of these new overlapped worlds asking for our attention and engagement. Material urban spaces, being formal or informal, gain new meanings and value while their use becomes more and more diverse.

Technologies empower users to meet in person or online, to gather in common actions of the volatile communities based on common social, cultural, educational or political interests. Stand-alone wearable technologies can be used to monitor one’s vital parameters while strolling, running in a park or cycling to light a bulb. Monitored activity add safety and the informed feedback and motivational support of a professional. Integrated technologies enable users to share a virtual city tour or a distant special event, to compete for improved performance in safe conditions, at home or in public spaces, to dance together in a common virtual room generated in an app (just dance) or meet in-person at a bridge pier to learn tai chi or sing together.

Inside this Conference, MEDEA organised a special session dedicated to “EU partnering event for Sustainable Innovation in healthcare”. During this special session of the conference, Maria Luigia del Vicario (FDG) presented the vision and objectives of the ROOMMATE project, showcasing how it contributes to key societal goals, including improving health outcomes, reducing inequalities, and promoting sustainable healthcare systems. The presentation also outlined the project’s approach to enhancing patient and caregiver experience, supporting clinicians through digital coaching, and enabling continuous monitoring via tele-rehabilitation. Finally, it addresses key challenges - such as digital literacy, user adoption, and long-term sustainability - and opens the discussion on how to scale ROOMMATE as a home-based service in the future. With about 20 participants on site, 10 online, the event was a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas and results in a close friendly atmosphere while also discussing possible future collaborations and policy developments. In this context, ROOMMATE was presented as a technological option integrated into the daily life of patients following hospitalization for stroke.

The Romanian Society for Gerontology and Geriatrics organises annually the Romanian Congress of Geriatrics and Gerontology. The 2024 edition took place in hybrid format, on 23-26 October, in the premises of the Romanian Academy, in Bucharest. The event gathered 200 participants Gerontology and Geriatrics experts (medical doctors, psychologists), academia.

UMFCD team presented a synergic work, with results from more European projects, including ROOMMATE related information, with the title: Assistive technologies in older adults – a contemporary perspective. Ileana Ciobanu, Matei Teodorescu, Andreea Marin, Mihai Zamfir, Mihaela Zamfir, Rozeta Draghici, Mihai Berteanu. The presentation was conducted online and received great interest and appreciation from participants and organisers as well.

Assistive technologies include low tech and high-tech solutions altogether, targeted to support, augment or even train one physical or psychological function or more, supporting also educational and adaptive interventions and empowering the users in regards of rehabilitation interventions. Based on simple mechanics or on sensors, wearable and embedded in the living environment alike, assistive technologies are using now AI and real-time feedback to personalise their help, and even the living space itself can become an assistive tool, if appropriately designed.

Conclusion: Research and development of modern assistive technologies require the active and fluid engagement of multidisciplinary multiprofessional teams and of future users altogether, in order to be able to generate and refine smart solutions to meet real needs of real users.

24-26 October 2024, Parliament Palace, Bucharest. Carol Davila University Congress.

Annual University Congress, a traditional large scientific event. The 2024 edition was a hybrid event. the congress brings annually 10000 participants, medical students, medical doctors, academia, researchers from medical domains as well as from related areas.

ROOMMATE team presented an electronic poster, visible online and in situ during the whole event. The aim was to increase awareness regarding the project, providing also relevant information to interested people.

ID and title of the poster: ID911 The Role of Technology in Subacute Stroke Rehabilitation. I Ciobanu, A Iliescu, M Teodorescu, A Marin, MN Popescu, M Berteanu. Abstract published in Maedica vol 9, Suppl 2024, University Congress 2024, page 46. www.maedica.ro ISSN: 2501-6903, ISSN-L: 2501-6903 (PUBMED, EBSCO).

As stand-alone or integrated in complex services, advanced rehabilitation technologies can optimise the post-acute stroke rehabilitation pathways, increasing the time dedicated to active interventions and improving rehabilitation outcomes. Two challenges remain: developing friendliest human-technology interactions to maximise the technologies’ adoption and finding the most efficient way to integrate technologies in the continuum of rehabilitation in the right place and moment.

ROOMMATE was present in The 47th National Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine in Romania. The hybrid event took place during 16-19th of October 2024, in an exquisite location – K2 Alpin Conference Center in Poiana Brasov, a well-known mountain ski resort, with beautiful sceneries and healthy air.

Participants: 900 (200 in person, 700 online) Physical and Rehabilitation Physicians, PTs, Ots, Rehabilitation Clinical Psychologists, researchers, Academia, technology providers and developers.

The aim of ROOMMATE team was to increase awareness regarding the project, providing also relevant information to interested people. The team presented ROOMMATE aspects in two oral presentations.

One regards the unmet needs of stroke patients and of their family caregivers during rehabilitation and includes results from ROOMMATE initial questionnaires in the context of rehabilitation services in Romania. The unmet needs of stroke rehabilitation services beneficiaries are complex, covering a large array of domains, from the need of access these services for solutioning the long-term disability produced by stroke through intensively applied interventions, to the need for information regarding stroke complications and rehabilitation objectives, means and outcomes and the need for quantified progress monitoring and for motivational continuous support. Specific needs like the need of stroke patients to access the natural environment and the need of the family caregivers for training to prepare them for their role in home-based rehabilitation were also expressed. The complexity of the unmet needs of people with stroke and their families cannot be addressed but through a multidisciplinary approach and with the support and active engagement of all stakeholders involved in rehabilitation services management, as well as in rehabilitation research and clinical practice.

The second presentation includes assessment and therapy aspects in post-stroke swallowing disorder. Swallowing disorder is a common condition related with multiple central neurological conditions. Stroke is one of the main neurological conditions leading to dysphagia. Between 42 and 67% of stroke patients have residual swallowing disorder. Post-stroke rehabilitation is a lengthy process involving successive medical assessments and a complex therapeutic program capable of acting on several levels simultaneously - multifactorial therapy - a program established by members of an interdisciplinary team. Post-stroke swallowing disorder rehabilitation represents a must in this complex process of therapeutic intervention.

The abstracts are published in the Volume of abstracts of the Congress as such:

Interdisciplinary Assessment and Therapeutic Approach in Post-Acute Residual Swallowing Disorder. Andreea MARIN, Ileana CIOBANU, Loredana MITRAN, Mihai BERTEANU. Pag 68. The 47th National Annual Congress of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.16-19Oct 2024. ISSN 2457-9785.

Unmet needs in stroke rehabilitation. I Ciobanu, Marin A, Iliescu A, Teodorescu M, Popescu NM, Cecchi F, Pedrini C, Doronzio S, Giacani J, Ciapetti T, Berteanu M. pag 63. The 47th National Annual Congress of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.16-19Oct 2024. ISSN 2457-9785.

The 16th edition of this international conference took place on 27-29 November 2024.

During the 2024 edition of the International Conference on Ubiquitous Computing and Ambient Intelligence, MEDEA organised the event “EU partnering event for Sustainable Innovation in healthcare”, in the premises of Ulster University.

The event organised by MEDEA gathered about 20 participants on site and 10 participants online.

Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) refers to a set of solutions grounded in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) which aimed at improving the quality of life of older adults. It supports independent or more autonomous living through the seamless integration of ICT into homes and residential environments, fostering greater autonomy and well-being. At the same time, AAL contributes to reducing the need for institutionalization or, when institutional care is required, to supporting and enhancing it.

A valuable opportunity to exchange ideas and results, while also discussing possible future collaborations and policy developments. In this context, ROOMMATE was presented as a technological option integrated into the daily life of patients following hospitalization for stroke.

The 10th Edition of the National Symposium of GerontoPsychology took place on 2-3 november 2024 in the auditorium of the University of Bucharest - Faculty of Psychology. The theme of the 2024 edition was Tradition and innovation in GerontoPsychology: classical approaches and new interdisciplinary trends. The event was hybrid and included 60 participants, clinical psychologists and speech therapists, as well as experts in associated domains. Speakers included important names in psychology and psychiatry from Romania and from abroad.

UMFCD team presented two works on behalf of ROOMMATE Project. One was a synergic work, result of their research in more European projects: Enriched environments – benefits for older adults. Authors: Ileana Ciobanu, Mihaela Zamfir, Rozeta Draghici, Mihai Zamfir, Andreea Marin, Matei Teodorescu, Marius Popescu, Alina Iliescu, Petre Lucian Seiciu, Mihai Berteanu.

Human beings, regardless the age, are open systems acting, being influenced by and influencing whole ecosystems. In diverse activity contexts, as well as in several health conditions and in ageing, the size and quality content of the environment included in the personal action space changes. The manipulation of the content and of the environment can induce, through cognitive and emotional stimulation and through activity enticement, improvements in regards of cognitive and physical functioning, activity level, social participation and quality of life of healthy older adults. In post-stroke conditions, as well as in disabilities associated to other health conditions like dementia syndromes, material, virtual and mixed enriched environments can support and augment rehabilitation outcomes. Enrichment includes cognitive stimuli but also assistive technologies and adaptations.

Conclusion: The quality of the environment we live and act in is relevant for the content of our activity but also for our life-long development, functioning and wellbeing.

The other presentation was dedicated to stroke patients and regards dysphagia and interventions aimed to improve the condition: Therapeutical approach of patients with oro-pharyngeal dysphagia. Authors: Andreea Marin, Ileana Ciobanu, Rozeta Draghici, Mihai Zamfir, Mihaela Zamfir, Mihai Berteanu.

Dysphagia is the difficulty swallowing and can be seen in clinical practice in different degrees of severity, from an occasionally, mild difficulty, to severe cases in which swallowing is, almost, impossible. Its treatment depends on the ethiology, mechanism of production and the degree of severity. The classification of dysphagia according to the anatomical area involved includes esophageal dysphagia, characterized by impairment of swallowing at the level of the esophagus, and oropharyngeal dysphagia, characterized by impairment of swallowing at the level of the oropharyngeal area. Oropharyngeal dysphagia can occur at any age groups, with a significantly increased frequency in neurological patients, especially in those with associated neurodegenerative diseases. Once the oropharyngeal dysphagia is diagnosed, the intervention will focus on preventive measures and psycho-education including active training exercises for the phono-articulatory system, as well as compensatory strategies of interest.

Assessment and therapeutic intervention techniques mentioned in the specialized literature, taken up and implemented in clinical practice by the authors of this paper were used in therapeutic programs for patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia post stroke dysphagia and post severe neurocognitive disorder. Informative materials were generated for awareness of the deficit and for awareness of the long-term effects of dysphagia, as well as needed materials and worksheets in order to facilitate the continuing therapeutic process at home, post-discharge. The role of ergonomic furniture in the management of swallowing disorders is also noted, emphasizing safety, convenience and comfort, supporting correct posture.

Oropharyngeal dysphagia is a medical emergency, especially when are associated: severe swallowing discomfort, weight loss or dehydration. Such a diagnosis is associated with increased costs of care and significantly affects the person's quality of life. A multidisciplinary approach focused on early diagnosis, specific therapeutic intervention programs, with/without the necessity of the compensatory strategies, as well as environment adjustment to the needs of these individuals in order to optimize the hydration and nutrition functions is a, very important, first step in the correct management of the therapeutic intervention process for the swallowing disorders.