Where would you like to eat? A formative evaluation of mixed-reality solitary meals in virtual environments for older adults with mobility impairments who live alone

Abstract

This paper reports the results from a formative evaluation of a mixed-reality (MR) eating prototype developed in collaboration with a restaurant for older adults in Holstebro, Denmark. The prototype is used to demonstrate to the older adults the idea of MR eating in two virtual environments. We use qualitative techniques to address the question: What virtual environment do mobility-restricted older Danish adults perceive as engaging and suitable for pleasurable, MR solitary meals? The participants repeatedly used the label "coziness" to describe their desired atmosphere for an eating environment. They critiqued the realism, color scheme and cleanliness of the presented virtual environments. Results from a card-sorting task where participants matched their preferred environments with specific meals, showed that their classifications were based on safety, realism, practicality, social acceptability, time, palatability, and indoor-outdoor considerations.

Keywords: Augmented reality; Food; Solitary dining; Technology acceptance; Undernourishment; Virtual reality.