If you are interested in purchasing Starlet or used Ipsum, you can purchase one now knowing that they have been manufactured with the older driver in mind. Both Toyota and Nissan have taken steps towards developing their vehicles with their sights set for the future. The future car driver, that is. Japanese auto makers have come to realize that as their customers get older they need special accommodations to help them maneuver easier as they drive to places they need to go.
Toyota is using a Universal Design Process for this and Nissan has started using a specialized suit to help them prepare for their older consumers. The suit and a pair of special goggles are helping developers at Nissan simulate how older people move around. It allows them to experience the bad balance, stiff joints, weaker eyesight, and extra weight that many older citizens deal with when they hit senior citizen status. The weight and constriction of the suit shows developers what kind of functionality and accessibility seniors have and it helps the younger generation who are designing the cars see what they have to face when they get up in years.
Nissan associate chief designer Etsuhiro Watanabe feels that by using the suit Nissan can design vehicles that are easier on people who have difficulty walking, pains in their backs, trouble raising their arms and other infirmities that affect people as they age. It provides them with needed information that lets them design the vehicles with special modifications that makes vehicles easier to drive. Not only does the suit limit mobility it helps show what kind of space considerations need to be looked at. The goggles work towards showing the designers how the dashboard angles and other visibility issues will affect the older driver.
This universal design is also helpful in developing vehicles for people who are larger and need extra room to move. They too face mobility issues, and as the developers are discovering it is difficult to do simple things such as turning the steering wheel or turning on the blinker when mobility is an issue.
With automakers like Nissan and Toyota leading the pack, they are hoping that this program will take off overseas with other manufacturers. By concentrating on the needs of older drivers and drivers who will be seniors before the end of the decade, they can develop new cars that fit their needs as well as adding additional comfort for drivers who are not dealing with mobility challenges.