TELLAB aims to help develop smart technologies for supporting older people to live independently and well. 

Digital care and wellbeing services for older adults have failed to live up to their promise. One reason for this is that these services, and the technologies underpinning them, have been developed and evaluated without the input of those for whom the services are intended: namely, older adults themselves, and their family, friends and carers. 

The TELLAB project will address this shortcoming by providing an appropriate environment for service development and testing: we will establish a "living lab" with residents of independent-living schemes. This will allow new innovations in care and wellbeing to be used and assessed by service users in their own homes over an extended period.

TELLAB began in June 2022 as a 3-year collaboration between Johnnie Johnson Housing, Astraline and the Centre for Assistive Technology and Connected Healthcare (CATCH) at the University of Sheffield. It is funded by The Vivensa Foundation (formerly the Dunhill Medical Trust).

As of February 2025, Johnnie Johnson Housing and Astraline have become parts of the Sanctuary Housing group, with Sanctuary assuming the role of principal community partner in TELLAB.