SANDRApp (Supporting Adults Needing Direct Relationships App)
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Maria Valero
Department
CCSE – Information Technology
Abstract
SANDRApp (Supporting Adults Needing Direct Relationships App) is a socially aware digital platform designed to reduce isolation and enhance safety for older adults aging in place. The project combines user-centered design, ethical AI, and community-based support to empower seniors through meaningful social connections. The platform features four modules: Distant Check, which unobtrusively monitors well-being using sensors; Visiting Social Network, which facilitates companionship through intelligent matchmaking; Volunteer Program, which promotes intergenerational engagement; and Marketplace, which connects users with local services.The machine learning pipeline uses an enriched public social dataset, augmented with synthetic features reflecting mobility, technology affinity, and communication comfort. Each user profile is represented as a structured set of emotional, behavioral, and logistical attributes. A Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) classifier built with scikit-learn generates compatibility scores, which are optimized using the Gale–Shapley Stable Matching Algorithm to form socially meaningful pairs. A React frontend visualizes these matches in real time.SANDRApp bridges social science and AI, offering an ethical and scalable approach to enhancing connectedness, empathy, and safety for older adults. (Used AI for editing and checking grammar)
Disciplines
Other Computer Engineering | Social Psychology
SANDRApp (Supporting Adults Needing Direct Relationships App)
SANDRApp (Supporting Adults Needing Direct Relationships App) is a socially aware digital platform designed to reduce isolation and enhance safety for older adults aging in place. The project combines user-centered design, ethical AI, and community-based support to empower seniors through meaningful social connections. The platform features four modules: Distant Check, which unobtrusively monitors well-being using sensors; Visiting Social Network, which facilitates companionship through intelligent matchmaking; Volunteer Program, which promotes intergenerational engagement; and Marketplace, which connects users with local services.The machine learning pipeline uses an enriched public social dataset, augmented with synthetic features reflecting mobility, technology affinity, and communication comfort. Each user profile is represented as a structured set of emotional, behavioral, and logistical attributes. A Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) classifier built with scikit-learn generates compatibility scores, which are optimized using the Gale–Shapley Stable Matching Algorithm to form socially meaningful pairs. A React frontend visualizes these matches in real time.SANDRApp bridges social science and AI, offering an ethical and scalable approach to enhancing connectedness, empathy, and safety for older adults. (Used AI for editing and checking grammar)