Queen Mum celebrated in new games centre

Dundee University has marked the forthcoming centenary of its first chancellor, the Queen Mother, with the launch of an innovative initiative to harness technology more commonly associated with young people - games and entertainment - to improve the quality of life for the elderly.

The Queen Mother Centenary Research Centre will be led by Alan Newall, head of Dundee's applied computing division, which is noted for applying technology to everyday problems faced by less able people.

Projects planned for the centre include research that could give older people the ability to communicate easily with family and friends all over the world, electronic memory joggers to prompt the absent-minded to take their pills, and "smart rooms" that offer supportive environments for frail people and those with severe memory problems.