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Instant Aging with a Wearable Time MachineBy: Kyle James, Dw-world.de February 19, 2003 A
firm in Germany has developed a suit that enables the young and fit to see
what it's like to be old and frail. Those trying on the "Age
Explorer" get a foretaste of life at 70. In
the youth-oriented culture of today, there is often a marked lack of
sympathy for members of society over 65. As the world continues to be
predominantly driven by all things "young", the limitations
brought about by old age -- arthritis, stiffness, loss of hearing, and a
general slowing down -- are often met with little understanding, or even
outright contempt. Not
so for the guinea pigs who submit themselves for a turn in the Age
Explorer, a kind of instant-aging suit developed by the Meyer-Hentschel
consulting firm in the German city of Saarbrücken. Ten minutes spent in
the Age Explorer is enough to imbue instant sympathy with the elderly even
in the most adamant ageist. "Younger
people who try on the suit say, finally, I understand why older people act
the way they do," said Hanne Meyer-Hentschel, the suit's creator. Instant
arthritis The
Age Explorer brings about this generational appreciation by propelling its
wearers decades into the future by simulating how the body might behave at
the age of 70. The suit's red overalls have 13 pounds of weights sewn
into them and pads strapped to the elbows and knees stiffen those joints.
Walking across a large room wearing the suit becomes a slow, exhausting
experience. The thick, red Age Explorer gloves have a Velcro-like
substance sewn into them: Putting them on brings about instant arthritis,
since any pressure applied to the hand feels like a thousand tiny needles
digging into one's flesh. As
if that weren't enough, headphones, similar to the ear protection airport
baggage handlers wear, take away a good deal of one's hearing. A welder's
mask-like face shield robs the subject of his peripheral vision, its
yellow glass leaves the world looking strange and blurred. "It's
all about the physical changes that we're all going to face sooner or
later to some degree," said Beate Baltes of Meyer-Hentschel, who
babysits those getting their first taste of old age. Not everyone who
reaches 70 is going to have arthritis or failing eyesight, but the Age
Explorer is meant to simulate a possible future in which things one takes
for granted today will not be quite as self-evident. Not
so easy anymore Simple
things like picking up a napkin out of a stack takes Age Explorer wearers
intense concentration, and about two minutes. Pulling a wallet out of a
back pocket with newly arthritic hands becomes a painful and frustrating
experience. Once that's accomplished, dispair can be the next emotion to
set in when trying to recognize or pick up the different coins there. After
an tedious, tiring walk across a large room, most of the newly aged are
ready for a break on a comfortable sofa. But while taking a seat is
welcome, the difficulty in getting back up on one's feet again almost
makes the sitting not worth the trouble. "At
first it was funny in a way, like you're in some kind of Halloween
costume," said Lisa Neundorfer, a marketing researcher who has tried
out the suit. "But then you realize how cut off you are from your
environment. Suddenly you have a whole new perspective on things." Changing
demographic The Age
Explorer is more than just a strange toy to encourage inter-generational
understanding, it is also a tool for business, allowing marketers and
product developers to get a feel for the experiences and limitations of
the elderly, a market which is growing by leaps and bounds. While
10 percent of the world's population is now over 60, according to a United
Nations forecast, that percentage is expected to grow to 22 percent
within the next two decades. In Germany, a country with one of the lowest
birthrates in the western world at just 1.3 children per woman, the
population is graying at rapid pace. In 30 years, demographers predict
one-half of the German populace will be over 50 years old. The buying
power of this segment of the population in also on the increase and
discretionary income is highest in the over-50 group. Companies are slowly
starting to realize that the senior market is soon to be a very lucrative
one. "The
baby boomers are geting older and they are very important for the economy
because they have the money and they want to consume," said Vera
Heuser of the German Direct Marketing Association, which has carried out
studies about the demographic changes going on in Germany. It makes sense
for companies to understand members of the senior population if they want
to develop product and services that are appropriate for them. "However,
usually people in adverstising or marketing are very young, so they cannot
imagine how it feels if you are older and what kinds of problems older
people have," said Heuser. She cites the tiny buttons on cellular
phones or the increasingly complexity of video recorders as the kinds of
product features that make them largely inaccessible to older people. New
understanding for Grandma The
Age Explorer aims to change that. Hanna Meyer-Hentschel began developing
it with the help of gerontologists after a Swiss firm asked for advice on
making its shops more accessible to the elderly. Now Meyer-Hentschel says
more and more companies, such as car and appliance makers or travel
companies, are sending their young hotshots to get a taste of what life's
like for Grandma and Grandpa. Her company is working on the third generation of the suit which takes age simulation to the next step. Age Explorer III will be able to mimic certain mental conditions among the elderly, like confusion or interrupted thought processes. Put enough people into the thing, according to one wearer, and it might just spark a renewed hunt for the legendary Fountain of Youth. Copyright
© 2002 Global Action on Aging
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