Identifying Barriers to Usability: Smart Speaker Testing by Military Veterans with Mild Brain Injury and PTSD

Emerging technologies need to be tested for usability and usefulness by target users in the context in which they would likely use these technologies. This is especially true for people with disabilities who may have specific use cases and access needs. This paper describes the research protocol and results from usability testing of smart speakers with home hub capability—Amazon Echo and Google Home—by military combat veterans with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Research was conducted with eight clients in a rehabilitation program for military service members at Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Smart speakers and two smart plugs were installed in residences owned by Shepherd Center and occupied by clients undergoing rehabilitation. Participants tested each device for 2 weeks, including set-up and daily use, and completed electronic diary entries about their experience. Additionally, they completed a summative questionnaire interview about their experience at the end of each phase. The goal of the research is to identify usability opportunities and challenges of each device in order to inform development of in-home therapeutic solutions using emerging smart home technologies for this population.