What can VR be used for? To check if the elderly can still take over the driving

In South Korea, virtual reality headsets are being tested to assess whether elderly people can still drive.

Until now, virtual reality is often viewed through the lens of entertainment. Since the mid-2010s, there’s been a lot of talk about video games that are meant to be more engaging thanks to these headphones that give the impression that you’re in the game: wherever we turn our head, the game adjusts the view and shows the environment it’s meant to be.

But virtual reality also has a lesser known medical aspect. In 2016, a patient was operated on in Angers to treat a brain tumor. The patient then wore a virtual reality goggle, allowing the neurosurgeon to more accurately map the cortex before the procedure. Advances in neurological disorders and rehabilitation or psychological support have also been noted.

VR to assess whether the elderly are alert on the road

It is precisely in this context that virtual reality is talked about again. Press Agency Yonhap News signale dans son edition du 29 novembre que la police nationale sud-coreenne soutient un program qui consiste à faire passer des tests aux personnes âgées pour vérifier si elles sont to continueujours aptes à prendre le gradé volant ou si leurs pour étéat de Leadership.

The reflection of the Korea National Police Agency (KNPA) is fueled by the double remark. First, traffic accidents involving drivers over 65 Statistically more of people half their life. Then the age pyramid in Korea is changing rapidly and there are, in fact, more and more elderly people finding themselves on the road.

Next Web, which addresses the Yonhap News report, says the KNPA-backed device is entering a three-year beta phase to assess the role virtual reality may play in assessing the cognitive and driving abilities of older adults. There is research on this topic, like this post.

At the end of the three-year period, the rules in Korean law can be implemented in 2025, requiring a medical visit with virtual reality checkups. This examination can be understood: dull reflexes of age, deterioration of eyesight, hearing impairment, fatigue can reach bodies more quickly, etc.

An idea that emerged in South Korea that is about to take a step forward can finally be imitated abroad. The aging of the population raises identical questions everywhere else, including in France: for example, parliamentarians have sometimes proposed a medical examination after 70 years. law Project It was introduced in this sense in 2019.

These reflections have not yet led to anything tangible. Surveys show, however, that residents generally agree with the need to periodically check the fitness of seniors with a driver’s license. However, such a measure may not be popular with this audience, which may make it understandable through the ballot box.

Medical visits may be required In the event of a special caseAnd a statement of the services of the Ministry of the Interior. This concerns both for the license examination, but also for motorists who have already received sesame. may be a file The disease is considered incompatible Or for very specific cases. These adjustments are not specifically age related.

However, there is still another reality, not a hypothetical one this time: when truly autonomous driving emerges, this problem should go away on its own.

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