1. Identifying and evaluating factors influencing technology adoption : a multi-pilot study within the Pharaon projectJasmine Pani, Laura Fiorini, Erika Rovini, Francesco Giuliani, Letizia Lorusso, Sergio Russo, Adriano César do Nascimento Teixeira Fernandes, Ana Goreti de Oliveira, Elisabete Pitarma, Ângela Rodrigues, Mateja Erce Paoli, 2026, izvirni znanstveni članek Opis: Introduction The global increase in the older adult population has amplified interest in supporting aging in place. Age-related physical and cognitive limitations pose significant challenges, for example managing daily tasks such as medication or household activities can become increasingly difficult. This also burdens informal caregivers with emotional stress, time demands and care coordination. Assistive technologies can enhance autonomy, social connection and health management, but their long-term adoption and use remain limited. Methods Within the Pharaon project, the study explored factors influencing technology use among older adults after 12 months of use. The research focused on the Italian pilot while integrating insights from other European sites. Qualitative data from semi-structured interviews were analyzed thematically and validated through reflection meetings and iterative online questionnaires. Recurring factors were consolidated, prioritized and mapped to explore interconnections affecting adoption. Results Initial findings revealed 30 factors, including personal characteristics, motivational aspects, technical design, social dynamics, and environmental context. These were rated by participating teams and 25 were retained for deeper analysis. An interconnection analysis explored how these factors influenced one another. Highly interconnected factors, such as social context, personalized training, ease of use, and cognitive changes, were central to understanding and improving technology adoption. In contrast, aspects like education level, internet access, and technical requirements appeared less interconnected, indicating more isolated effects. Discussion This multi-site, empirical investigation emphasizes the complex and interconnected nature of technology adoption among older adults. Our findings underscore the need for user-centered design, tailored training, and sensitivity to social context. Furthermore, the interactive mapping of interrelated factors provides a practical framework for developers and policymakers to target impactful interventions. To our knowledge, this is the first cross-pilot study to empirically define and score factors affecting older adults’ technology use based on multi-pilot data across Europe, offering valuable insights for long-term, meaningful engagement.
Ključne besede: older adults, technology usage, factors influencing technology use, user experience, assistive technology
Objavljeno v RUP: 05.02.2026; Ogledov: 556; Prenosov: 5
 Celotno besedilo (2,90 MB)
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2. Comparison of Unity and FMOD Libraries for Spatial Audio Localization in Virtual RealityGašper Leskovec, Eva Gaberšček, Jaka Sodnik, 2025, samostojni znanstveni sestavek ali poglavje v monografski publikaciji Opis: Spatial audio is central to immersion and situational awareness in virtual reality (VR), but the performance differences between diferent audio engines have not been sufficiently explored. This study compares Unity’s integrated spatial audio system and the FMOD engine in a controlled VR sound localisation task. Thirty volunteers completed three levels of 16 trials each while wearing a head-mounted display (Oculus Quest). They were randomly assigned to one of the two systems and asked to identify the direction of an active loudspeaker among several virtual sources. We measured localisation accuracy, reaction time, spatial distance error and cumulative head rotation; learning effects were assessed by comparing the first and third stages. Participants using FMOD achieved slightly higher accuracy (93% vs 87% overall) and turned their heads less, suggesting that FMOD made it easier for users to localise sounds in space, while Unity users showed greater variability and a slightly greater learning gain. About two-thirds of participants improved their accuracy over time, but there were significant individual differences. These results suggest that both engines perform similarly well on basic localisation tasks, although FMOD has slight advantages in spatial accuracy. The work highlights the importance of evaluating spatial audio engines in user-centred studies and emphasises the need to consider personal factors and task complexity in future research.
Ključne besede: Virtual Reality, Spatial Audio, Sound Localization, Unity, FMOD, Immersion, User Experience
Objavljeno v RUP: 30.01.2026; Ogledov: 415; Prenosov: 0
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