Xbox Kinect for Seniors - Gesture Control for Fun and Purpose

Seniors play with feeling and meaning

Game consoles with gesture control, like Microsoft’s Xbox Kinect, are becoming ever more popular – also with seniors. But the „Generation+“ is much more demanding than younger people when playing, as the innovation consultancy YOUSE from Berlin has found out. The older want games that help them learn, connect with other people or even support their rehabilitation – all under the premise of a high usability.
Next to games, the study shows a variety of possibilities to use gesture control in every day life – e.g. for commanding appliances in the bathroom, the kitchen or the car.

Entertainment or waste of time?

The results of the test of the Xbox show that playing with gesture control is not difficult, also for older people. But they also show leeway to improve: „I would not buy a console like this – I do not see any sense to waste my time playing games.“ (Rolf Habestroh, 68). Dr. Nedopil, a managing director of YOUSE, explains: „To be successful in the `Generation Plus` segment, consoles need to be more intuitive in its controls and the games need to have a clearer benefit“. Especially games for training the mind, the motion and coordination skills with a high social factor – e.g. to play with the grandchildren – are expected.

Gesture control in every day life

Next to games, the study looks at how gesture control can be used for appliance control in every day life. Dr. Glende, also managing director at YOUSE, says: „Our research shows interesting opportunities for gesture control – also for seniors. Gesture control offers a number of starting-points for user-friendly innovation in the car or at home.“
In the car, gesture control could – for example – increase comfort and safety: cabin light, radio and A/C could be controlled while driving without letting the traffic out of sight. In the kitchen, using the light or the tap would be also possible with a pot in both hands.

Further information, facts and pictures: www.youse.de/gesturecontrol

YOUSE was founded in January 2010 by the two Technical University Berlin (TUB) alumni Dr.-Ing. Sebastian Glende and Dr. Christoph Nedopil. The start-up YOUSE helps companies to focus on real user needs during their product development phases for user-friendly innovations and services, especially for the ‚Generation Plus‘. The innovative business was awarded with the EXIST-Stipend of the Federal Ministry of Economics and the 1st prize in the business plan competition Berlin-Brandenburg.
Since its foundation, YOUSE works in international research projects, for large corporations and various medium and small enterprises.

Valerie Hunstock
YOUSE GmbH
Winsstr. 62, 10405 Berlin
valerie.hunstock@youse.de
+49 30 609 873 38
www.youse.de/en

This release was published on openPR.