Patchworks is an eight-month research project to explore the health and communication needs of homeless people in Lancaster and Morecambe. Specifically, the project will explore how homeless people might co-design a prototype tool using cheap, open source technology that can help to monitor and communicate health and wellbeing.

Patchworks is part of Catalyst, a three-year research project funded by the Engineering and Physical Research Council (EPSRC) exploring how different communities use technology to make the world a better place. Patchworks is the first in a series of Catalyst sub-projects that engages community groups and academics from a range of research disciplines including social science, computing, design, biomedicine, environmental and management science to envision and build next-generation tools more suited to the job.