The global introduction of affordable Internet of Things (IoT) devices offers an opportunity to empower a large variety of users with different needs. However, many off-the-shelf digital products are still not widely adopted by people who are hesitant technology users or by older adults, notwithstanding that the design and user-interaction of these devices is recognized to be user-friendly. In view of the potential of IoT-based devices, how can we reduce the obstacles of a cohort with low digital literacy and technology anxiety and enable them to be equal participants in the digitalized world? This article shows the method and results achieved in a community-stakeholder workshop, developed through the participatory design methodology, aiming at brainstorming problems and scenarios through a focus group and a structured survey. The research activity focused on understanding factors to increase the usability of off-the-shelf IoT devices for hesitant users and identify strategies for improving digital literacy and reducing technology anxiety. A notable result was a series of feedback items pointing to the importance of creating learning resources to support individuals with different abilities, age, gender expression, to better adopt off-the-shelf IoT-based solutions.

中文翻译：

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如何使物联网设备民主化。参与式设计研究

负担得起的物联网 (IoT) 设备的全球推出为满足不同需求的大量用户提供了机会。然而，许多现成的数字产品仍未被那些犹豫不决的技术用户或老年人广泛采用，尽管这些设备的设计和用户交互被认为是用户友好的。鉴于基于物联网设备的潜力，我们如何减少数字素养低和技术焦虑人群的障碍，让他们成为数字化世界的平等参与者？本文展示了通过参与式设计方法开发的社区利益相关者研讨会中取得的方法和结果，旨在通过焦点小组和结构化调查来集思广益问题和场景。研究活动的重点是了解提高现成物联网设备对犹豫用户的可用性的因素，并确定提高数字素养和减少技术焦虑的策略。一个显着的结果是一系列反馈项目，指出创建学习资源以支持具有不同能力、年龄、性别表达的个人的重要性，以便更好地采用现成的基于物联网的解决方案。