Conversations On Multimodal Input Design With Older Adults

TL;DR

This paper explores designing multimodal input systems for older adults, emphasizing gesture and speech, and highlights the importance of collaborative design to improve usability and engagement.

Contribution

It introduces a user-centered approach focusing on gesture and speech inputs for older adults and demonstrates the value of collaborative design in this context.

Findings

Gesture and speech are preferred input modalities for older adults.

Collaborative design facilitates better input system development for this demographic.

Older adults' physical abilities influence input system design choices.

Abstract

Multimodal input systems can help bridge the wide range of physical abilities found in older generations. After conducting a survey/interview session with a group of older adults at an assisted living community we believe that gesture and speech should be the main inputs for that system. Additionally, collaborative design of new systems was found to be useful for facilitating conversations around input design with this demographic.