While many companies and universities are working on exoskeletons that enhance the human body, the exoskeleton in the R70i Aging Experience intentionally does the opposite to help us understand and empathize how it feels to be old.
Made by insurance company Genworth and Applied Minds, the R70i’s exoskeleton simulates arthritis, muscle loss and other bodily impairments brought about by old age. But it also has an augmented reality – de-augmented reality? – headset that simulates vision and hearing problems.
The Atlantic‘s Dr. James Hamblin got to experience the aging simulator first hand.
Engineers, please get to work on the good kinds of exoskeleton stat.
[via Devour]