BIM-4-CARE: New demonstrator shows how digital construction planning enables self-determined living for people in need of care
28. August 2025
Reading time:
3 minutes
Structural adaptations to living spaces are often the prerequisite for enabling people in need of care to live in their familiar surroundings for as long as possible. However, the design of care-friendly living spaces(s) is complex and fragmented: There is no common planning basis between those affected, specialists and construction planners, which often leads to delays, repeated data collection and uncertainty. This is precisely where the BIM-4-CARE project comes in.
“Many people want to be able to stay in their familiar home for as long as possible. With BIM-4-CARE, we are using modern AI technologies to develop a platform that integrates knowledge and experience from care practice directly into housing planning,” says Christian Walter, project manager in the BIM-4-CARE project.
BIM-4-CARE is being implemented together with the Assisted Working and Automation (AWA) research group at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences under the direction of Prof. Dr.-Ing. The aim of the project is to develop an intelligent planning tool that uses digital technologies and networked data exchange to support all those involved in realistically assessing living situations and redesigning them for the future. It takes into account individual restrictions, needs and potential disease progression and plans ahead.
The new demonstrator
The project’s new demonstrator shows what this could look like in the future. As a digital navigation tool, it uses a short questionnaire to create specific recommendations for adapting living space. This questionnaire, which was designed together with care companies, asks for information on the level of care, mobility and state of health.
The integrated AI analyzes this data and uses it to create an individual action plan. The recommendations for action range from structural measures such as widening doors, stair lifts or removing thresholds to everyday adaptations such as grab rails, lighting or assistance systems.
Networked planning of care-friendly living spaces – an outlook
The information is still entered manually, but in the long term the demonstrator is to become part of a fully networked planning system. In future, all relevant information – from structural conditions to health statuses and care needs – will be automatically linked via the SmartLivingNEXT data room. The AI-supported evaluation of all available data will make it possible to analyze a large pool of possibilities and generate individual recommendations for action.
You can try out the demonstrator on this website: https://smartepflegeassistenz.de/
Listen to the article (in German):
Editorial office:
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Category:
BIM-4-CARE
Central documents for SmartLivingNEXT
The white paper contains the guideline and reference framework for the future technical development of the SmartLivingNEXT Dataspace and the desired governance structure. It was created with the collaboration of teams from German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), the Research Association for Electrical Engineering at ZVEI e.V., Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) and Materna Information & Communications SE. You can have the white paper sent to you as a PDF. Please contact our project office at projektbuero@smartlivingnext.de.
The document is intended as a structuring investor perspective and orientation framework, not as a final business plan, and analyzes the possible roles of potential investors. It was written in collaboration with Michael Schidlack, Research Association for Electrical Engineering at ZVEI e.V., Dr. Rahild Neuburger, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) and Lars Thomsen, future matters AG. You can have the document sent to you as a PDF. Please contact our project office at projektbuero@smartlivingnext.de.
Das Dokument erläutert im ersten Teil (Governance & Organisation) SmartLivingNEXT als föderiertes Datenökosystem und beschreibt die Rollen, Verantwortlichkeiten und Entscheidungslogiken. Der zweite Teil (technische Architektur & Datenraum) beschreibt, wie diese Governance technisch umgesetzt wird. Es entstand unter Mitwirkung von Michael Schidlack, Forschungsvereinigung Elektrotechnik beim ZVEI e.V., Dr. Rahild Neuburger, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) und Fanni Vespermann, Materna Information & Communications SE. Sie können sich das Dokument als PDF zusenden lassen. Please contact our project office at projektbuero@smartlivingnext.de.
