MY HALF-HOUR OF HELL IN THE ‘AGEING’ EXO-SUIT

THE most bizarre – and intriguing – innovation was the Genworth Ageing Experience, an ‘augmented reality’ suit that simulates symptoms of age-related diseases to the wearer.

It is, says its inventor, robotics expert Brian Ferren, primarily an educational tool. ‘Virtual reality isn’t just about video games,’ he explains. ‘It is difficult for anyone who hasn’t suffered from these problems to truly empathise with someone who does. Our suit will, hopefully, change that.’

I tried it out, and found the experience both traumatic and enlightening.

Strapped into the exoskeleton, which encases the arms and legs, I felt ridiculous – and looked like Robocop.

The ‘eyes’ of the helmet are cameras, relaying what is happening on video screens in front of your eyes. The head piece can be manipulated at the flick of switch to distort the vision. It mimics different types of sight loss, including the clouding of cataracts and glaucoma, the gradual erosion of peripheral vision.

The hearing-loss simulation causes a ringing in my ears akin to tinnitus, and I am also given a distressing glimpse of aphasia. This is speech loss, often caused by dementia. As I speak, my words are played back to me in a jumbled way, making it humiliatingly hard to answer simple questions, such as what I do for a living.

The most harrowing part of the experience is the arthritis simulation. Resistance created by the joints of the exoskeleton mimics joint stiffness and pain.

Walking on a treadmill, I am asked to stroll down a (virtual reality) beach. The suit makes a slight amble a huge effort, and my heart rate spikes from a resting rate of 68 to 110 in a few minutes.

I am desperate to stop the torture. As the suit is switched off and my normal faculties return, I am overwhelmed by the realisation that for millions, there is no exit to such pain and disability.