Traveling from the canals of Venice to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, a group of elderly people in Japan is seeing the world – without even leaving their seats.
It’s all thanks to virtual reality, as well as a team at the University of Tokyo.
As a therapist, Kento Toshima traveled the globe capturing 360-degree videos to show his senior patients. His aim was to help them find joy and motivation in life, using VR technology to allow those who are unable to travel satisfy their wanderlust and see the world again.
“They wanted to see even more of the places from their memories, therefore I felt that I could show them more by using virtual reality and showing them [these places] in 360,” he tells CNN Travel. “With VR, they can look around however they’d like to and experience the footage actively.”
Toshima now works as a member of the lab at University of Tokyo, led by lecturer and assistant professor Atsushi Hiyama, whose field of study focuses on geron-informatics and has been applying information and communication technology for the elderly.
Together they are applying technology, such as VR, to support Japan’s hyper-aged society while also teaching active senior citizens to film and edit 360-degree videos from their travels to give to their less mobile peers.
“90% of people who are over 65 years old are very active,” says Hiyama. “They don’t need support to live alone. For the active elderly, it means that they are participating in society.”
I – Word Understanding
1, Virtual reality – is a computer-generated environment with scenes and objects that appear to be real.
2, Wanderlust – a strong desire to travel.
II – Have Your Say
1, What is the role of virtual reality in improving health outcomes for older adults?
2, How can we help the elderly live longer?
3, How virtual reality can benefit or affect your life in the near future?
