Experts in medicine, technology and public policy will discuss how new applications of information technology can enhance the quality of life for a growing population of older adults and people with disabilities at an April 12 public symposium at Carnegie Mellon University.

The event, which will be held from noon to 5 p.m. in Carnegie Mellon's University Center, is sponsored by the National Academy of Engineering and the Quality of Life Technology Center. The newly established center is a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center operated by Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh.

Scheduled speakers include Jim Osborn of Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute and executive director of the Quality of Life Technology Center; Rory Cooper, professor of rehabilitation science and technology at the University of Pittsburgh; and Moe Coleman, director emeritus of Pitt's Institute on Politics.

Quality of life technology is more than just assistive technologies, like wheelchairs, that have long been in use. Quality of life technologies use computers, robotics and other intelligent systems to improve assistive devices and create totally new tools, such as electronic sensors for monitoring the health of people living alone, or hand-held data-recording devices to prompt people with failing memories.

The symposium will also showcase emerging technologies from nearly two-dozen industry and university research groups, including the Quality of Life Technology Center.

The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register, contact Melissa Keaton at 412.268.7932 or melissa@cs.cmu.edu. People who provide care or other support for older adults or people with disabilities are urged to attend.

About Carnegie Mellon: Carnegie Mellon is a private research university with a distinctive mix of programs in engineering, computer science, robotics, business, public policy, fine arts and the humanities. More than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students receive an education characterized by its focus on creating and implementing solutions for real problems, interdisciplinary collaboration, and innovation. A small student-to-faculty ratio provides an opportunity for close interaction between students and professors. While technology is pervasive on its 144-acre campus, Carnegie Mellon is also distinctive among leading research universities for the world-renowned programs in its College of Fine Arts. For more, see www.cmu.edu.