A number of weeks ago we presented a news story about how retiring Baby Boomers are changing the ways we all perceive design and consumerism in older age. Since then NBC news filled out the report with a posted video that includes Today’s Peter Alexander conversation with Joseph Coughlin, director of MIT’s Age Lab. We also get to see him don “AGNES,” a suit designed to impose the physical aspects of aging on a younger person. That suit has been used by commercial designers and engineers to help create products and access to products meant to improve the lives of older Americans. But don’t call them ‘Old.’
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMjLfgixcls[/youtube]
Marketing to this generation will likely bring improvements to all age groups (Lord knows some of the people around our offices need a car that can parallel park for them!), and the research being done through robotics and network communications could help the first generation to enjoy them be more active and productive than any group before them.