Aura - An Outdoor, Soothing, Immersive Experience

Panasonic Corp. has growing interest in senior care, defined generally as care for those older than age 65. This stems from the increasingly unbalanced demographic situation in Japan where 24.8% of individuals are already 65 or older and 38% are expected to be over 65 by 2050 . The demographics of most developed countries and cities, including those for the United States, are expected to follow a similar aging trend.

Aggravating this issue, seniors are more prone to diseases and ailments due to their often frail nature. The burden on healthcare providers and systems will become greatly skewed towards care for the elderly. Panasonic Corp. recognizes the potential to develop innovative solutions in this field. According to the Stanford Center on Longevity, most surveys show that over 80% of older adults want to age-in-place. However, the tremendous amount of Baby Boomers (estimated at 75.8 million) will vastly overfill the 3 million residential care beds present in the US. The financial burden for seniors and their healthcare providers is also very high. The cost of 24-hour supervised care can also range from $6,000 to more than $10,000 per month depending on the setting (e.g. assisted living vs. in-home care). These worsening problems create chasms the team desires to fill with innovative product solutions.

The team considered many stakeholders in this senior-focus problem. Primarily, the senior patients themselves are a focus of the project; however, a patient's family members (including children, grandchildren, siblings, and spouses) also play a significant role in care and well-being. Additionally, healthcare providers such as doctors, nurses, and hospital facility staff or also administrators and home health agents were considered throughout this design process. To create a user-accepted solution, the technological adeptness of seniors was considered. Many seniors are not comfortable with advanced technological devices. It is assumed that seniors of the future will be more likely to accept technology because of the integrated lifestyle patterns of many adults; however, the need for simplicity is still crucial.

After considering many needs that were demonstrated and learned through visits to senior homes, as well as interviews with seniors and elderly caretakers, the team identified how depression and sadness are linked to other factors of life. Many other common senior issues are either the direct cause or effect of depression. For example, loss of physical mobility often leads to depression. Similarly, high levels of sadness and depression are linked to reduced medication compliance, which can in turn degrade the physical condition of the patient. Considering the enjoyed hobbies and activities of able-bodied seniors that prevent depression led to the exploration of immersive multimedia "walks." For many seniors, physical or mental limitations, or possibly harsh weather conditions prevent outdoor walking. Thus, the design team decided to simulate walking experiences and treat symptoms of depression and sadness by giving back in some ways the experience of walking.

An immersive multimedia experience of walking through a park is simulated through the use of Aura, the final prototype shown. Users are able to pedal a recumbent exercise bike to traverse through picturesque sceneries. The video play rate speeds up or slows down according to the speed at which the user pedals. In addition to visual progression through the scenery, a user will feel a simulated breeze that varies in intensity according to the pedaling rate of the user. Other incorporated senses include listening to surround nature sounds, mimicking outdoor lighting colors with Hue lights, and smelling the scents of the jungle with scented oils. This experience resulted in excited and interested users during multiple rounds of user testing at a local senior center. Many users asked for how much the Aura was selling and were interested in bringing Aura to confined family members or physically injured audiences. The team believes that a full product would be desired by care facilities, hospitals, and therapy facilities to be used among large groups of people.