Voice-activated digital home assistants (DHA) like the Amazon Echo hold great potential to support the everyday home activities of older adults— and especially those with disabilities. However, there is a need to understand more about how these devices are perceived by this population. A new TechSAge article in Gerontechnology provides insights on the initial perceptions and use of DHA devices by older adults with disabilities. The research team introduced two different Amazon Echo form-factors to a group of older adults with and without disabilities, observed their initial use of the devices, and interviewed participants on their experiences. Older adults with no prior use of DHAs demonstrated positive initial attitudes toward the devices and were able to successfully use them following brief instruction. The authors identified potential usability issues and discussed how findings can drive the future design of DHAs to better meet the home-based needs of an aging population. Read the full article by Travis Kadylak, Kenneth Blocker, Christopher Kovac, and Wendy Rogers.  

Katherine Hsieh is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at Georgia State University. She completed her Ph.D. in 2020 from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she was actively involved in the TechSAge Steady Wheels project, developing a customized falls risk application for wheeled device users. Katherine helped validate the smartphone accelerometry in measuring seated postural control and conducted usability of the app. Her research focuses on leveraging technology (i.e., wearable sensors, mobile health, virtual reality) to measure mobility in aging and chronic disease populations and to deliver interventions to prevent falls and improve functional independence. We are excited to have her on the TechSAge team once again! Fun fact: Katherine enjoys rock climbing and will be competing in an event next year where she will climb for 24 hours.