Gesture controls and tangible interactions for older adults
A Prototyp for Cooking
The demographic development in Austria shows significant increases in life expectancy and declining birth rates. So the target group is best defined as older people, aged between 50 and 65 years. The aim is to design new interaction mechanisms for use in the household, considering the special needs of this age group, such as physical and mental changes. A user-centered design process is applied iteratively to develop a system for the elderly. The controls are based exclusively on gestures and tangibles. It will be evaluated if such operation is better suited for the main target group. As site a kitchen environment is selected and a cooking system is developed. The cognitive changes in old age are taken into account, therefore the system can store likes and dislikes of friends to help choosing the perfect menu. To counteract isolation in the old age, video conferencing and sending invitations for meals is integrated. The results of this work prove that gesture control and tangibles are a good method of interaction for elderly people. Fiddling with the tangible objects was understood quickly and did not require detailed explanation. Gesture controls however requires an introduction to the various gestures and a short training period. Otherwise, the resulting failure to execute the gesture and thus incorrect or missing response of the system quickly leads to a high frustration level. Gesture control and tangible objects are finally considered as better form of interaction for older people, because it can be integrated in activities at home very well. It is particularly suitable for work in the kitchen because it can meet hygiene requirements. The video recordings of the user tests will be analyzed with respect of the state of the art. Finally, recommendations for future work in this field will be given.
