TV Remote Control and Older Adults: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

The remote control is a device normally used in conjunction with the TV-set, being this the preferred via of interaction. However, users like older adults frequently have difficulties using this device, due to the decrease in fine motor skills such as coordination of movements, grabbing objects, and also to memory and visual impairments. In this context, the present study presents a review of articles from the last five years, making it possible to understand in detail the difficulties of older adults in using the TV remote control, as well as to understand what solutions were found to overcome these difficulties. This review also made possible to understand how the physical interface of the remote control is composed and what operations and functions it is normally used for. The paper ends with a discussion that lists the general findings, also allowing to answer the objective imposed in this study. From the findings of the review, it is possible to understand the specific characteristics of older adults that emerge with aging, as well as the potential to improve the interface of the TV remote controls according to these characteristics, from simplifying the device interface, the redesign of its buttons, until the implementation of different input modalities such as voice commands and gestures.