Older Adult Performance Using Body Gesture Interaction

Abstract

Gesture interfaces are becoming an increasingly popular way to interact with technology, as they are considered very easy to learn and use. However, most gesture interactions studies focus on the average adult or, when focusing on older adults, it is usually in the gaming or physical activity contexts. In this study, we evaluate the suitability of gestural interfaces for older adults, in order to interact with a general technological interface. To this end, we asked 14 older users to perform a set of navigation and selection tasks; two tasks required to interact on most technological interfaces. For each of these tasks, we evaluated two alternative gestures. All senior participants were able to complete almost all the proposed tasks, and enjoyed using this type of interface. We concluded that gestural interfaces are adequate for the senior users, and derived a set of design implications that future developers should take into account when developing gestural interactions for the older people.