What's it like to be 75 years old? Try this on.
From: Slice of MIT - 12-28/2011
By: Jay London

The US population of persons 65 years or older numbered 39.6 million in 2009
and is expected to increase to 72.1 million by 2030. Coupled with falling
birth rates and lengthening age expectancies, the US population is rapidly
aging. 

For engineers and designers, this creates design challenges that didn’t
previously exist with younger populations. Existing and developing products
may need to be altered to cater to the older demographic. 

Thanks to MIT’s Agelab, young designers may be better equipped to understand
the needs of their aging clients. Under the direction of Joe Coughlin, Agelab
has created AGNES (Age Gain Now Empathy System), a suit designed to
approximate the motor, visual, flexibility, dexterity, and strength of a
person in their mid-70s. 

Read the entire article and watch a video (1:31) at:
http://alum.mit.edu/pages/sliceofmit/2011/12/28/what’s-it-like-to-be-75-years-old-try-this-on/

Links:
MIT’s Agelab
http://agelab.mit.edu/

Joe Coughlin
http://agelab.mit.edu/director-joseph-f-coughlin

AGNES
http://agelab.mit.edu/agnes-age-gain-now-empathy-system

Submitted by Sachiko Berry