MIT is Researching Old Age
Across the river from me is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where researchers are doing cutting-edge work on aging at the AgeLab. The work addresses aging on a variety of fronts, including safe driving, retirement and longevity planning, wellness and self-empowered health, independent living and caregiving, and business strategy and innovation.
I am most fascinated by the driving innovations. You’ve probably heard about several car companies that use an ‘aging suit‘ to simulate older drivers’ experiences getting into and out of cars and operating the vehicle. Here is bit of information on the MIT AgeLab’s work on driving:
In collaboration with the global auto industry, including Toyota, Nissan, Volkswagen, Ford, DaimlerChrysler and Fiat, researchers from MIT’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Harvard Medical School, Ben Gurion University in Israel, and MIT’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, the AgeLab is conducting extensive research on the design integration of intelligent transportation systems and their promise to promote lifelong safe driving. Current work includes the issue of cognitive workload and the adaptation to new technologies to the driving task of the 50+ year old operator.
