Using virtual reality to verify indoor performances for older adults : simulation of altered visions into an exhibition space

Before you judge someone, you must walk a mile in their shoes. There are many types of this idiom, but all advocate for empathy and comprehension as part of any assessment. But the main question is that how it is possible to accomplish this walk? - how is it possible for one person to feel another person perspective and experience in order to foster true understanding? This is a matter in any situation, but it becomes bold and important when the people get old because the only difference between younger adults and elderly is not only their old age and experiences, but also is their sensory capacities. In fact, when looking at the same visual scene, elderly people will see the elements in the space different from younger adults. Timing, sound and sensory distraction will change as people age. Therefore, the question is that how can young generation look, understand and perceive the world as the old generation do? These are important questions which must be answered especially when the world is struggling with increasing the aging population. For achieving our goal, one possible solution could be using Virtual Reality. In fact, in the world of Virtual Reality it is possible to manipulate the sensory environment with the aim of generating altered perception. With this ability, we will be able to make altered visions, and as a result, participants literally can walk in each other’s sensory ‘shoes’ and examine how sensory changes associated with aging effect will change their perception. This is a part of an international research project between Drexel University in Philadelphia and Politecnico di Milano, and it is called ‘Virtual Shoes’. In this project, we are going to use Virtual Reality in order to simulate the vision of the elderly people who are suffering from Cataract problem to look at the world from their point of view. Needless to say that this research may lead to an important foundation for the young engineers and architects to look at the world from the point of view of the elderly people and increasing their awareness about older generation demands, and automatically considering and applying those needs in the process of architectural design.

Prima di giudicare qualcuno, devi camminare per un miglio nei suoi panni. Esistono molti tipi di questo linguaggio, ma tutti sostengono l'empatia e la comprensione come parte di qualsiasi valutazione. Ma la domanda principale è che come è possibile realizzare questa passeggiata? - come è possibile per una persona sentire la prospettiva e l'esperienza di un'altra persona al fine di favorire la vera comprensione? Questo è un problema in ogni situazione, ma diventa audace e importante quando le persone invecchiano perché l'unica differenza tra i giovani adulti e gli anziani non è solo la loro vecchiaia e le loro esperienze, ma anche le loro capacità sensoriali. Infatti, guardando la stessa scena visiva, le persone anziane vedranno gli elementi nello spazio diversi dai giovani adulti. Il tempismo, il suono e la distrazione sensoriale cambieranno man mano che le persone invecchiano. Pertanto, la domanda è: come possono le giovani generazioni guardare, capire e percepire il mondo come fanno le vecchie generazioni? Queste sono domande importanti a cui è necessario rispondere soprattutto quando il mondo è alle prese con l'aumento dell'invecchiamento della popolazione.