Exploring multimodal technologies to engage elderly people in remote communication with their family
Abstract
The increasing mobility in the ageing society has caused more and more elderly people living separately with their family. The quality of remote communication with their family located in different places affects the mental wellbeing and quality of life for the elderly. However, the traditional communication technologies focus on screen-based interaction and synchronous communication are limited in engaging elderly users in fulfilling and engaging experiences compared to the younger generations in communication. In this paper, we look at three novel types of technologies, i.e., immersive technologies, social robots and IoTs, while considering their potential to promote social presence of one another and to engage elderly users in asynchronous and symmetric communication. Further insights are gained regarding how to design these technologies to make use of their advantages. Other issues in terms of privacy concerns and cultural differences in intergenerational telecommunication are discussed as well. This paper contributes to the general design research agenda aiming to improve elderly people’s mental and relational wellbeing at the age of digitalization.
Keywords
Older adults; Remote communication; Intergenerational communication; Technology use
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2023.441
Citation
Chen, B.,and Li, X.(2023) Exploring multimodal technologies to engage elderly people in remote communication with their family, in De Sainz Molestina, D., Galluzzo, L., Rizzo, F., Spallazzo, D. (eds.), IASDR 2023: Life-Changing Design, 9-13 October, Milan, Italy. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2023.441
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Exploring multimodal technologies to engage elderly people in remote communication with their family
The increasing mobility in the ageing society has caused more and more elderly people living separately with their family. The quality of remote communication with their family located in different places affects the mental wellbeing and quality of life for the elderly. However, the traditional communication technologies focus on screen-based interaction and synchronous communication are limited in engaging elderly users in fulfilling and engaging experiences compared to the younger generations in communication. In this paper, we look at three novel types of technologies, i.e., immersive technologies, social robots and IoTs, while considering their potential to promote social presence of one another and to engage elderly users in asynchronous and symmetric communication. Further insights are gained regarding how to design these technologies to make use of their advantages. Other issues in terms of privacy concerns and cultural differences in intergenerational telecommunication are discussed as well. This paper contributes to the general design research agenda aiming to improve elderly people’s mental and relational wellbeing at the age of digitalization.