Designing a Navigation System for Older Adults: A Case Study Under Real Road Condition

Abstract

Recent research allows envisioning what kind of sensory devices could be used for drivers’ navigation in the future, particularly for older adults. Population all around the world is aging, older adults will be more on the road. In this paper, we present a contact-less navigation system dedicated to this category of people based on a mobile head-up display. The aim of this system is to preserve their mobility in order to promote their autonomy and daily social activities. To do so, we interviewed older drivers to design a driving assistance system and we assessed the system under real road conditions (N = 34) with measurement of older drivers’ mental workload and the adequacy of users’ expectations. We emphasize the need to combine both measures of mental workload. The contribution aims at providing a richer understanding of how older people experience navigation technologies and to discuss the design recommendations of digital devices for older people.