Human Autonomy? A case study of autonomous vacuum cleaners to explore technology use among the elderly

This thesis is an exploratory study of technology use among the elderly. The study is part of the MECS (Multimodal Elderly Care Systems) project. As part of the study, qualitative data has been collected using multiple methods such as field studies, observations and interviews, all in the context of...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Newaz, Fahd Bin Malek
Format: Dissertation
Language:English
Subjects:
feedback
HCI
HRI
older adults
technology use
trust
welfare technology
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Summary:This thesis is an exploratory study of technology use among the elderly. The study is part of the MECS (Multimodal Elderly Care Systems) project. As part of the study, qualitative data has been collected using multiple methods such as field studies, observations and interviews, all in the context of the homes of our participants, who belong to a variety of age groups and have varying previous exposure to digital technology. Commercially available robot vacuum cleaners were provided to the participants, and the data gathered for the study, was primarily focused on the experiences our participants had with their robot vacuum cleaners. This study identifies several barriers that may hinder the use of technology, as well as factors that attract the use of technology. Among the factors that attract users to technology, the desire for independent living had been found to be important both for the elderly and younger participants. On the other hand, the barriers, one way or another, affect the amount of trust a user has toward the technology, which in turn is a deciding factor for how much the user will use a particular technology. Many of these barriers are not exclusive to the elderly and can apply to many different user groups. Hence, the fact that many elderly are reluctant to use new technology is not only a reflection of their use situation; rather it is also a reflection of the deficiencies in the design of the technology itself. Many steps can be taken to build trust between users and technology, one of which is to create a better understanding of the technology, through better communication with the user. This study explores the different ways communication between humans and autonomous devices could be ameliorated, through proper feedback. Based on the identified barriers, possible considerations are discussed for deciding what kind of feedback should be provided by a given technology.