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Main Authors: Bilau, Ibrahim, Li, Nicole, Malayvong, Terrence, Yang, Eunhwa
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.13203
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author Bilau, Ibrahim
Li, Nicole
Malayvong, Terrence
Yang, Eunhwa
author_facet Bilau, Ibrahim
Li, Nicole
Malayvong, Terrence
Yang, Eunhwa
contents Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) affects 15-20% of adults aged 65 and older, often making kitchen navigation and independent living difficult, particularly in lower-income communities with limited access to professional design help. This study created an AI system that converts standard kitchen photos into MCI-friendly designs using the Home Design Guidelines (HDG). Stable Diffusion models, enhanced with DreamBooth LoRA and ControlNet, were trained on 100 kitchen images to produce realistic visualizations with open layouts, transparent cabinetry, better lighting, non-slip flooring, and less clutter. The models achieved moderate to high semantic alignment (normalized CLIP scores 0.69-0.79) and improved visual realism (GIQA scores 0.45-0.65). In a survey of 33 participants (51.5% caregivers, 36.4% older adults with MCI), the AI-modified kitchens were strongly preferred as more cognitively friendly (87.4% of 198 choices, p < .001). Participants reported high confidence in their kitchen choice selections (M = 5.92/7) and found the visualizations very helpful for home modifications (M = 6.27/7). Thematic analysis emphasized improved visibility, lower cognitive load, and greater independence. Overall, this AI tool provides a low-cost, scalable way for older adults and caregivers to visualize and implement DIY kitchen changes, supporting aging in place and resilience for those with MCI.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_13203
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Inclusive Kitchen Design for Older Adults: Generative AI Visualizations to Support Mild Cognitive Impairment
Bilau, Ibrahim
Li, Nicole
Malayvong, Terrence
Yang, Eunhwa
Human-Computer Interaction
Artificial Intelligence
H.5.2; I.2.7
Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) affects 15-20% of adults aged 65 and older, often making kitchen navigation and independent living difficult, particularly in lower-income communities with limited access to professional design help. This study created an AI system that converts standard kitchen photos into MCI-friendly designs using the Home Design Guidelines (HDG). Stable Diffusion models, enhanced with DreamBooth LoRA and ControlNet, were trained on 100 kitchen images to produce realistic visualizations with open layouts, transparent cabinetry, better lighting, non-slip flooring, and less clutter. The models achieved moderate to high semantic alignment (normalized CLIP scores 0.69-0.79) and improved visual realism (GIQA scores 0.45-0.65). In a survey of 33 participants (51.5% caregivers, 36.4% older adults with MCI), the AI-modified kitchens were strongly preferred as more cognitively friendly (87.4% of 198 choices, p < .001). Participants reported high confidence in their kitchen choice selections (M = 5.92/7) and found the visualizations very helpful for home modifications (M = 6.27/7). Thematic analysis emphasized improved visibility, lower cognitive load, and greater independence. Overall, this AI tool provides a low-cost, scalable way for older adults and caregivers to visualize and implement DIY kitchen changes, supporting aging in place and resilience for those with MCI.
title Inclusive Kitchen Design for Older Adults: Generative AI Visualizations to Support Mild Cognitive Impairment
topic Human-Computer Interaction
Artificial Intelligence
H.5.2; I.2.7
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.13203