Evaluating performance and acceptance of older adults using freehand gestures for TV menu control

In this paper, we explore alternative TV menu control methods, focusing specifically on older users. We investigated performance and acceptance of freehand gestures by implementing several techniques and conducting a user study with 24 older adults. We expected that older adults would like gesture techniques as they are generally fun to use and easy to conduct. As a possible alternative to physical remote control, gesture techniques may also introduce some physical activity for older adults (positive health effects). In the user study, we compared four different kinds of freehand gesture interaction to control a corresponding TV menu, investigating specifically on abilities of older adults. Each of the interaction types was analyzed regarding task completion time, error rate, usability and acceptance. Results showed that directly transferring tracked hand movements to control a cursor on a TV achieved the best performance and was preferred by the users. In general, the participating older adults showed a very positive attitude towards gesture-based interactions.

[1]  Michael Cohen,et al.  Gesture Interpretation for Domestic Appliance Control , 2008 .

[2]  A. Bakheit,et al.  Impact of Technology on Successful Aging , 2004 .

[3]  Tae-Young Lee,et al.  Gesture-Based Interface Using Baby Signs for the Elderly and People with Mobility Impairment in a Smart House Environment , 2010, ICOST.

[4]  Marc F. Swiontkowski,et al.  Short musculoskeletal function assessment questionnaire , 1999 .

[5]  References , 1971 .

[6]  V. Mathiowetz,et al.  Adult norms for the Box and Block Test of manual dexterity. , 1985, The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association.

[7]  Frank Schieber,et al.  Human Factors and Aging: Identifying and Compensating for Age-related Deficits in Sensory and Cognitive Function , 2003 .

[8]  Chris North,et al.  Design and evaluation of freehand menu selection interfaces using tilt and pinch gestures , 2011, Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud..

[9]  Alex Chaparro,et al.  Range of motion of the wrist: implications for designing computer input devices for the elderly , 2000, Disability and rehabilitation.

[10]  Jörg Müller,et al.  Comparing Free Hand Menu Techniques for Distant Displays Using Linear, Marking and Finger-Count Menus , 2011, INTERACT.

[11]  Jakob Nielsen,et al.  Gestural interfaces: a step backward in usability , 2010, INTR.

[12]  William S. Marras,et al.  Basic Biomechanics and Workstation Design , 2006 .

[13]  William Buxton,et al.  User learning and performance with marking menus , 1994, CHI 1994.

[14]  K. Tsukada,et al.  Ubi-Finger : Gesture Input Device for Mobile Use , 2002 .

[15]  Fred D. Davis,et al.  User Acceptance of Computer Technology: A Comparison of Two Theoretical Models , 1989 .

[16]  J. F. Kelley,et al.  An iterative design methodology for user-friendly natural language office information applications , 1984, TOIS.

[17]  Björn Stenger,et al.  A vision-based system for display interaction , 2009, BCS HCI.

[18]  Mark Green,et al.  Geometric modeling using six degrees of freedom input devices , 1993 .

[19]  Rahul Sukthankar,et al.  Controlling your TV with gestures , 2010, MIR '10.

[20]  Hartmut Wandke,et al.  Gestural Interfaces for Elderly Users: Help or Hindrance? , 2009, Gesture Workshop.

[21]  João M. F. Rodrigues,et al.  Automatic hand or head gesture interface for individuals with motor impairments, senior citizens and young children , 2009 .

[22]  Mijeong Kim,et al.  An interaction and product design of gesture based TV remote control , 2004, CHI EA '04.

[23]  Andreas Holzinger,et al.  Finger Instead of Mouse: Touch Screens as a Means of Enhancing Universal Access , 2002, User Interfaces for All.

[24]  L. Cohen,et al.  Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Exercises in STroke Rehabilitation (EVREST): Rationale, Design, and Protocol of a Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial Assessing the Wii Gaming System , 2010, International journal of stroke : official journal of the International Stroke Society.

[25]  Prashan Premaratne,et al.  Consumer electronics control system based on hand gesture moment invariants , 2007 .

[26]  Caroline Hummels,et al.  Meaningful gestures for human computer interaction: beyond hand postures , 1998, Proceedings Third IEEE International Conference on Automatic Face and Gesture Recognition.

[27]  William T. Freeman,et al.  Television control by hand gestures , 1994 .

[28]  Joseph J. LaViola,et al.  An exploration of menu techniques using a 3D game input device , 2009, FDG.

[29]  Gavriel Salvendy,et al.  Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics , 2005 .

[30]  Seamus Hickey,et al.  Senior citizens' interaction with smart ambient environment , 2010, 2010 IEEE International Technology Management Conference (ICE).

[31]  Diane P. Martin,et al.  Short musculoskeletal function assessment questionnaire: validity, reliability, and responsiveness. , 1999, The Journal of bone and joint surgery. American volume.

[32]  Viswanath Venkatesh,et al.  Technology Acceptance Model 3 and a Research Agenda on Interventions , 2008, Decis. Sci..

[33]  mc schraefel,et al.  A Taxonomy of Gestures in Human Computer Interactions , 2005 .

[34]  Cornelius Neufeldt,et al.  Wii play with elderly people , 2009 .

[35]  Ann Morrison,et al.  Natural user interfaces: the prospect and challenge of touch and gestural computing , 2010, CHI Extended Abstracts.