Suited up to see effects of ageing

Nissan engineers in Japan are using a special suit that simulates the physical effects of ageing. It allows engineers and designers to see car ownership through the eyes of older customers and then alter features.

Nissan's design engineer, Etsuhiro Watanabe, says: "As we get older, it can become harder to perform physical manoeuvres. When it comes to driving, that can mean more difficulty seeing writing on the switchgear, reaching and using controls, distinguishing colours on navigation equipment, or getting in and out of seats."

Watanabe says many engineers are in their 20s and 30s, and the suits provide an accurate reflection of the daily physical challenges not necessarily experienced by young drivers.

"The suits can simulate poor balance through a raised front-toe design, cataract goggles simulate failing eyesight, casts on the body simulate arthritic pain by making it more difficult to raise arms and legs, and colour-deficiency goggles simulate sight problems," he says.

The suits are being used by engineers at Nissan's technology centre outside Tokyo.

One feature of the suit is a thick waist-belt.

About 250mm wide and 50mm thick, it does an excellent job of duplicating what is euphemistically known as "middle-aged spread".

The belt makes it harder to get in and out of a car, and can even cramp an engineer's movement behind the steering wheel in vehicles where the seating is poorly designed.

Restrictions are also created at the elbows using a complex system of levers.

Checking on neck movement is also important as it can influence how well a driver is able to use the door mirrors and how easy - or difficult - it is to look back while reversing.