i3 - January/February 2017 - 37

SPONSORED

SUPPORTING
TECHNOLOGY
FOR SENIORS
significant percentage were not being
purchased for the intended 4-8-year-old
child but for older adults that were not
able to physically take care of an animal
but desired companionship that was
authentic. Hasbro dug into this insight
and began research with older adults
in community and independent living
situations to understand what features
were important to this population of
new users. The need or desire they
heard most often was interactive
companionship and realism. The more
real they made it, individuals that felt
isolated were interacting with something
familiar that engaged them - it made
them feel connected and happy. Robotics
will play an increasingly important role
serving the needs of older adults. From
an AARP perspective, working with
innovative companies such as Hasbro, we
can collaboratively accelerate the impact
robotics will have for older people who
are experiencing isolation and loneliness.

AARP and CTA are leaders in
their respective fields of aging
and technology, so it makes
sense that the CTA Foundation works with AARP to cover
technology for people age 50plus. Thanks to support from
AARP, the CTA Foundation
can support more programs
enabling older adults to stay
healthy and independent
through the use of technology. Be sure to catch the CTA
Foundation's panels at CES
which include AARP leaders
talking about the power of
accessible technology and
self-driving vehicles for this
important demographic.

Will virtual reality give
housebound seniors a new way
to connect with the world?
Many older adults, especially those with
family members that don't live close to
them, find themselves isolated, lonely
and under-stimulated. We found through
our studies that virtual reality can spark
more social interaction and alleviate
boredom for caregivers and recipients.
It may eventually let older adults and
seniors virtually visit family at gatherings
that they could not attend in person.
Doctors have stated that the development
of this type of futuristic technology can
also help them treat anxiety and assist
cognitive dysfunction and dementia and
help diabetes patients stay active. Virtual
reality can bring a sense of realism and
that sense of social engagement. We are
launching innovation challenges next
year around VR working with the MIT
Age Lab. So more to come on VR but it is
definitely a space where we have interest
because of the benefits.
C TA . t e c h / i 3

Will self-driving cars benefit
someone who perhaps has vision
problems?
Absolutely, we are looking at transportation
in general. We are developing our own
white paper point of view on how selfdriving cars could benefit in real ways
society and the older adult. We understand
the benefits and convenience of what
self-driving cars can bring us. We see being
able to connect outside of your home as
valuable. It's a very precious state but you
don't want your home to become a jail. We
are reimagining what transportation can be
whether it is self-driving cars or taking Uber.
I love that Uber can arrange transportation
for a loved one without them ever being
engaged in that transaction. It is there to
pick them up, take them wherever they
need to be and bring them back safely to

their home. Self-driving cars are one thing,
but we are reimagining technology around
transportation. We at AARP are very much
in favor of it.

What are some of AARP's outreach efforts in the tech realm?
I am particularly proud of our Live
Pitch effort where we engage with the
technology community with new ventures
and startups. We have created a platform
for them to showcase their innovations and
connect with the community especially
in the areas that map to our interests in
terms of delivering social value and social
impact. Our Live Pitch event outside of San
Francisco was one of our best with about
300 companies participating. We are very
connected with the venture community.
Many of these companies would have a
hard time attracting this kind of attention so
we give them that platform to engage and
get investment in the products and services
that will help individuals live their best lives
as they get older.
We also engage in other ways like at CES.
We put out information like our Caregiving
Innovation Frontiers Report. We also have a
complimentary finance health report that
helps the private sector define opportunity
for investment in these areas. We will soon
announce the AARP Innovation Champions
award, with an initial focus on caregiving,
for those companies that are doing best in
class products and services that truly help
individuals and we will be evaluating around
ageless innovation that is designed for all
but a senior can also benefit. As we grow
older and as certain functions decline, these
are innovations that can evolve with us.

What does the future look like?
I have always been a bit of a self-professed
futurist but I have actually stopped
imagining because the future is here.
Now it is not about imagining the future,
it is the possibilities. To me, the sky is the
limit. There are so many possibilities on
what we can do with technology. It is just
astounding. n
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37
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