Designing memorable tactile patterns for older adults

In our previous study, the requirements for designing perceptual vibration patterns for older adults were investigated and proposed. Based on this knowledge, the requirements for designing memorable vibration patterns such as a rhythmical vibration pattern called “vibration rhythm” were proposed. However, almost all participants, regardless of their ages, could only recognize a few vibration patterns. Therefore, we attempted to determine a method to create memorable vibration patterns that enabled the older users to understand the meaning of the many vibration patterns presented. In this study, a method was tested in which we designed vibration patterns with language rhythms that implied the Japanese pronunciation of the corresponding message. This method was evaluated through experiments, and its validity was verified by comparing its results with a working memory system proposed by Baddeley. From the results, we concluded that the method can help the aged user improve his learning skills and memory. Although we found that it is necessary to design software to easily create vibration patterns for aged users, our proposed new method is a better option for creating memorable vibration patterns.