Photo: Courtesy of MIT AgeLab
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Age Lab have built a suit that replicates what aging feels like.
It’s called AGNES, or Age Gain Now Empathy System. The suit mimics thevisual capability, motor ability, and strength of people in their 70s and 80s.
“Essentially what AGNES is, is a series of equipment that you can put on to gain empathy for and experience what an older version of yourself might be like,” Sophia Ashebir, a graduate research assistant at the lab, told WBZ NewsRadio.
The suit is equipped head-to-toe with specially designed goggles, helmets, weighted vests, crocs and more to replicate the physical challenges associated with aging.
“The crocs are outfitted with a thick layer of foam that can add tactile sensation loss and imbalance that might come with aging,” Ashebir said.
She added that the goal of the suit is to spark conversation and create spaces that could help those people better adapt to new environment.
Recently, the lab gave some CVS executives an opportunity to put on AGNES, so they can see how their older customer base navigates their stores.
“They were able to make changes that they implemented into their stores, such as way-finding, lighting, thinking about aisle heights,” Ashebir said.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Emma Friedman (@EmmaFriedmanWBZ) reports.
Photo: Courtesy of MIT AgeLab