Co-Bien Project: When Innovation Serves Social Connection

Research
11 Feb 2026

On January 23, 2026, the Co-Bien (Connected for Integral Well-Being) project team and students from the Toulouse campus unveiled the result of a two-year collaborative effort: a prototype of connected furniture for seniors. Co-Bien, an interdisciplinary and cross-border research project (France-Spain), is tackling a major societal challenge — the fight against isolation among older adults amid population aging and the digital divide.

Connected Furniture to Foster Social Connection

At a press briefing held at the Icam Toulouse FabLab, Simona D’Attanasio, researcher and lecturer in advanced robotics and scientific lead for the Co-Bien project, with the engineering students involved in the project offered an inside look at Co-Bien through the presentation and demonstration of a connected furniture prototype. Designed with and for older adults, this object is simple, accessible, and welcoming (made entirely of wood), intended to encourage social connections without replacing human contact.

The console, which is on wheels and includes a small storage tray for ease of use, is equipped with a touchscreen or voice-controlled interface with highly interactive features — such as large buttons, physical cards for shortcuts, increased volume, and illuminated feedback. It allows users to receive messages and photos, make video calls, and receive notifications about local and community events via a calendar, as well as weather updates. “This object is a very simplified and secure telephone with basic functionalities. Everything is customizable,” explains Simona D’Attanasio.

The development of this prototype is the result of two years of rigorous co-design work. It reflects high-quality collaboration carried out by Aranda-Mas and OpteamDesign, with excellent integration work done by Icam and the University of Deusto.

Fifth-year engineering students at Icam were fully involved in all stages of the project, emphasizing learning through real-world practice: applied research, co-design with users, prototyping, and testing in real conditions. Being an engineering student at Icam means not only acquiring technical skills but learning by doing, in the field and at the heart of concrete research projects. Close to twenty students have worked on the Co-Bien project to date.

What’s Next — Real-World Testing

After this public presentation, the next phase of the project will focus on testing the prototype with older adults in their everyday environments. A social portal is also under development to facilitate access to the services and features of the connected furniture.

The goal is to validate the effectiveness of the solution, adjust it based on user feedback, and prepare for its broader deployment across the cross-border territories of the Pyrenees by January 2027.

About Co-Bien

Funded by the European Interreg POCTEFA program with €1.3 million (65 % from the European Regional Development Fund), the Co-Bien project brings together 15 partner or associated organizations over three years (2024–2027), with Icam Toulouse leading the initiative across two regions: Cerdagne and La Rioja.