Examining the Use of Intelligent Conversational Voice-Assistants for Improved Mobility Behavior of Older Adults in Smart Cities

Abstract

Intelligent Conversational Voice-assistants (ICV) can interpret the speech of human and respond back using synthesized voices and are increasingly employed for interacting with different applications. ICV offers promising tool to address the increasing mobility accessibility challenge faced by older people. Yet, irrespective of the increased ageing population, studies that employed ICV to improve the mobility, walkability, and wayfinding of older people are scarce. This is because the development of ICV in the mobility domain presents several designs, technical, and linguistic challenges. A systematic literature review was adopted grounded on secondary data from the literature and descriptive analysis was employed. Grounded on user-centred design perspective based on the “ability-based design framework” and “ISO 9241-110 framework for ergonomics of human-system interaction.” Therefore, this study describes the requirement specifications needed to design an ICV suitable for supporting the mobility behavior of older people. Findings from this paper identifies the perceived factors that influences the use of ICV by older people. Additionally, findings from this study discusses how ICV that simulates human-like behavior can provide personalized mobility, walkability, and wayfinding guide when older people walk in cities. This study provides recommendations for the implementation of a user-centred ICV for safe, independent, accessible mobility for older people in urban environment.