Kinetic User Interfaces and Multiuser 3D Virtual Worlds for Older People

Older people may experience changes with age, such as a decline in physical and cognitive capabilities, which could result in deterioration of their social relationships and quality of life. It is important to help them to maintain independence and delay the need for institutionalised care. It is therefore crucial to find novel ways that motivate them to have a more active life. One area of such possibility is 3D virtual worlds (VW), which provide a creative and social space for users to engage in various activities.

In fact, virtual worlds, such as Second Life, have increasingly showed promise in healthcare. There are for instance a variety of healthcare support groups for topics such as mental health, disabilities, depression and cancer in virtual worlds. Most importantly, it is claimed that virtual worlds could help chronically ill patients and disabled users by allowing them to temporarily leave their disabilities behind and participate in social activities and better express their ideas and creativity through association with groups in virtual worlds. Studies suggest that frequent engagement in creative activity, such as computer game playing, might be helpful in reducing the risk of Alzheimer's disease and combating serious depression among older people.

However, a key obstacle when implementing virtual worlds for healthy ageing is the adoption of conventional user interfaces (such as the keyboard and mouse) which are often not well suited for older people. For instance, navigation (moving around in virtual world) and object manipulation (such as selecting and positioning a virtual object) pose serious usability issues even for younger users who are reasonably familiar with the computer. Another potential issue concerns the design of non-verbal cues for online communication through the use of avatars (graphical virtual representation of the user). Non-verbal cues are important in human communication. In virtual world, users can express themselves through the use of avatar gestures (such as waving, bowing), usually by pressing certain shortcut keys on the keyboard. An important design issue therefore lies in finding a natural way to allow for more expressive social interaction with nonverbal cues.

In recent years, there has been an emergence of a new user interface paradigm known as Natural User Interfaces (NUI). Instead of using conventional devices such as the keyboard and mouse, users interact with their computers using gestures, speech, and thoughts. One type of NUI, known as Kinetic User Interfaces (KUI) allows users to interact with the computer through body motions. Examples of such devices include Microsoft Xbox Kinect and Nintendo Wii. Such relatively natural ways to interact with technologies make it easier to learn, thus lowering the barrier of engagement.

Therefore, the proposed research programme aims to conduct a detailed investigation on how Kinetic User Interfaces (KUI) can be employed effectively to design innovative 3D virtual worlds accessible to older people. Older people's behaviour will be studied in depth to inform to 3D design solutions for this specific population. Prototypes will be developed and evaluated to assess the effectiveness of KUI-based 3D design in virtual world. Addressing these issues, we ultimately aim to make 3D technology more accessible and engaging for older people, thus motivate them to participate in active life style through this technology.

The ultimate outcome of the research will be to motivate older people to engage in active lifestyle through the use of 3D virtual worlds (VW). The direct involvement of the users (older people) and AgeUK is integral to the project to ensure maximum impacts. Older people will be involved directly to elicit user requirements through observational studies and participatory design workshop. Officers from AgeUK Canterbury will provide their expertise in the design of the prototypes, as well as helping to manage participant recruitment.

Furthermore, we will work with Silverfit (http://www.silverfit.nl/), which will share design expertise and technical skills regarding the use of KUI technology for older people. Silverfit has substantial experience in developing rehabilitation technology based on physiotherapy guidelines and their products are used in care homes and therapy centres around the globe. Silverfit is very keen on the use of 3D technology in their work. For instance, they are exploring the use of 3D environment which is familiar to the users (e.g. kitchen) in occupational therapy. The results of the proposed project can be utilised by Silverfit to further develop the prototype system, with the aim to eventually install such system in AgeUK centres and various care homes.

The results will highlight key design heuristics and specific guidelines and will be used to direct future development of VW or 3D technology. It dovetails with AgeUK's aim to help older people age healthily by engaging with active life socially, mentally and physically. The project will also serve as an exemplar to other communities in the UK and internationally as to how we can motivate older people, or indeed those with very little computer experience to engage with 3D technology, which could have various active lifestyle applications.

Given the unique characteristics of VW, impacts can be extended beyond healthy ageing. For instance, the PI is exploring collaboration with Cranfield Univ. and related industries (e.g. BAE system) to look into such technologies in training in the area of maintenance engineering. The project is also likely to be of interest to culture and heritage organisations such as museums. The PI and colleagues have been working with local museums in Kent (e.g. Powell Cotton Museum and Turner Contemporary) and there have been substantial interests in using KUI-based VW to engage visitors with cultural artefacts in an immersive experience.

Although the design of VW is likely to be varied in different domains, the project outcomes can provide an indication on how intuitive, accessible and engaging user interfaces could be designed. The advantage of accessibility studies such as this is that by making the interfaces accessible to older people often with little computer experience, one also improves the general usability of the system. It is especially important for 3D technology, where many average computer users still have difficulty using them.

The PI will be responsible for disseminating research to relevant audiences through passing on relevant publications and through liaison with the press offices of the University and EPSRC. This will be particularly relevant for communicating findings to the general public. Through liaison with AgeUK Canterbury, we will communicate the findings to a wider audience in AgeUK. The PI will also actively communicate the results and research outcomes with relevant audiences including museums, East Kent Hospital Univ. Trust (our collaborator in health-related research), care homes (e.g. our partner Graham Care Group), technology developers (Silverfit), educational institutions through our wide collaboration networks. For this purpose, we will develop digital (website, documentary developed by students at Univ. of Kent as part of their degree) and offline materials (e.g. leaflet, poster) to engage not only industries and businesses, but also the general public.