If it’s not the technology, then it’s the size of the gadget that some senior citizens find challenging. Touch interfaces are not necessarily friendly to arthritis fingers. The IC Social Communication Tool is a project that Mikael undertook when he realized his grandmother was having a tough time coping with emails, chats and video calls over the internet. He devised the IC to be the perfect medium for electronic communication.
Features:
- Upon buying, the user gives away his or hers personal information and the device automatically makes an e-mail account and accounts for the social medias the user have chosen from a list.
- It is connected to the internet with 4g so no installation at home is needed.
- It gathers messages from contacts sent through all medias and sources and displays them in a simple and similar way so there is only one interface to get used to.
- If the user wants to send a message, he or she can use either voice recognition or “rub off” a hand written message on the screen while a person or message is shown.
- The message will then be sent back the same channel it came, eg: an e-mail is replied with an e-mail so the user doesn’t need to bother with what kind of channels to use.
- The bi-directional touch-screen has built in sensors to capture video giving the users real eye contact for a more natural conversation.
- It is resting on top of physical buttons to give the right type of feedback. You can place your finger and hold it against the screen before you decide to push. When you are pointing at something at the screen, it enlarges. The frame around let you stabilize your hand if you are shaky.
- The environmentally friendly wood and round form gives a friendly look to distinguish it from similar technical products.
- Contacts can easily be added by scanning e-mail addresses on the screens surface or by talking to the intelligent voice recognition.
- Other data about the contacts is automatically gathered from social media sources like Facebook.
Designer: Mikael Johansen
IC – Social communication tool for seniors from Mikael Johansen on Vimeo.
