'Old suits' aid car design
|
[02/27/2008] While "fat suits" are a Hollywood slapstick staple, Nissan's "old suits" could require a lot more attention - they help to highlight the special needs of the elderly when developing new cars.
|
While "fat suits" are a Hollywood slapstick staple, Nissan's "old suits" could require a lot more attention - they help to highlight the special needs of the elderly when developing new cars.
Nissan's Japanese engineers are using a special suit when developing new vehicles that simulates the physical effects of ageing and then allows these engineers to alter features to accommodate these special needs.
Nissan Design Engineer Etsuhiro Watanabe said, "As we get older, it can become harder to perform physical maneuvers.
"When it comes to driving, that can mean more difficulty seeing writing on the switch gear, reach and use controls, distinguish colours on navigation equipment or get in and out of seats."
Watanabe noted that many engineers were in their 20s and 30s and the suits provided an accurate reflection of the daily physical challenges faced by the elderly.
"It's not always practical to recruit older motorists for product research," he said, "so these special suits allow Nissan's engineers and designers to come up with solutions that make car use a safer and more positive experience."
The suits can simulate poor balance, failing eyesight, arthritic pain by making it more difficult to raise arms and legs, and colour-deficiency goggles that simulate problems distinguishing colours.
Nissan engineers wearing the suits have been experimenting with the location and angles of switches, testing the ease of reading instrument and navigation panels and determining where to locate grips to make it easier to get in and out of a vehicle.
It also has a thick waist belt that duplicates the "middle aged spread" making it harder to enter and exit a car, and that even restricts movement behind the steering wheel.
Further restrictions affect the engineers' flexibility, affecting knees and ankles, and elbow and neck movements.
Nissan's Japanese engineers are using a special suit when developing new vehicles that simulates the physical effects of ageing and then allows these engineers to alter features to accommodate these special needs.
Nissan Design Engineer Etsuhiro Watanabe said, "As we get older, it can become harder to perform physical maneuvers.
"When it comes to driving, that can mean more difficulty seeing writing on the switch gear, reach and use controls, distinguish colours on navigation equipment or get in and out of seats."
Watanabe noted that many engineers were in their 20s and 30s and the suits provided an accurate reflection of the daily physical challenges faced by the elderly.
"It's not always practical to recruit older motorists for product research," he said, "so these special suits allow Nissan's engineers and designers to come up with solutions that make car use a safer and more positive experience."
The suits can simulate poor balance, failing eyesight, arthritic pain by making it more difficult to raise arms and legs, and colour-deficiency goggles that simulate problems distinguishing colours.
Nissan engineers wearing the suits have been experimenting with the location and angles of switches, testing the ease of reading instrument and navigation panels and determining where to locate grips to make it easier to get in and out of a vehicle.
It also has a thick waist belt that duplicates the "middle aged spread" making it harder to enter and exit a car, and that even restricts movement behind the steering wheel.
Further restrictions affect the engineers' flexibility, affecting knees and ankles, and elbow and neck movements.
[Sourse]
celebrity gallery | travel photo | motorcycle gallery | Dine in the USA
| Share You car picture |
| Website Contents © All Rights Reserved |
Conception by Universal Studio
|