Can multimodal interaction support older adults in using mobile devices? The ECOMODE study.

Several studies investigated the potentialities of multimodal interfaces for improving accessibility for older people. This paper presents a study that evaluated the user experience of sixty people who worked with a tablet PC running the ECOMODE technology. This technology consists of an event-driven compressive vision algorithm, that allows the realization of a new generation of low-power cameras, able to elaborate real-time vocal- and video-inputs. The users interact with the applications on the tablet PC using mid-air hand gestures and vocal commands. Even if the ECOMODE technology suffers from some technical limitations, older people appreciated the proposed multimodal interaction mode. The results pointed out that the ECOMODE technology was considered to be particularly promising for daily tasks involving communication, such as placing calls, sending and listening to audio and messages, and taking and sharing pictures. It also seems effective in navigating archives, such as pictures, audio, or music databases.