Near Field, Technology, and Ethics

The Finnish Research Centre is starting a pilot in Oulu in which elderly people can order food using NFC (Finnish). You just touch the picture of the food you want, and it'll be delivered. Very simple, intuitive, less susceptible to errors, can be used even if your eyesight is not that good, faster, cheaper, yadda, yadda.

I'm sort of two minds on this: on other hand, it demonstrates an innovative use of a technology in an important area. On the other hand, it deprives older people one more contact with the rest of the society. Maybe the call to the person who handles the food deliveries is the only discussion of the day? How much computing can we put into people's lives to replace normal social contacts before it's too much?




Comments

You're right, we have to be really careful with interfaces in this area. NFC is potentially great in opening up interactions with physical space: this has great potential for elderly, people with motor difficulties, design for all, etc. But removing people from the process is hardly ever a good solution...

--Timo, 28-Sep-2006


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"Main_blogentry_280906_1" last changed on 28-Sep-2006 14:42:53 EEST by JanneJalkanen.