MIT suit designed to educate about aging

Visitors to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) AgeLab in the Center for Transportation and Logistics are greeted by a striking image: a mannequin in a jumpsuit and red goggles. But it’s the accessories under the jumpsuit that are the point. Inside the suit are weights and bungie cords, unwieldy gloves and a pair of Crocs™ with blocks of foam glued to the bottom. This is AGNES, an acronym for Age Gain Now Empathy System, which is an empathy and research tool designed by the MIT AgeLab. 

Its purpose is to simulate for the wearer what it may feel like to live in an older person’s body. The weights approximate muscle loss, the bungies the reduction of range of motion and flexibility that can affect the joints. The foam-platform Crocs simulate the erosion of balance, and the heavy, awkward gloves evoke the loss of tactile sensation. The red goggles simulate a range of impairments to vision, from impaired acuity to diabetic retinopathy.

AGNES has been used globally to inform the design of public transportation systems, retail environments, medical devices and product packaging. Recently, AGNES appeared in a new documentary series titled “Limitless with Chris Hemsworth,” produced by National Geographic.