This paper describes the contents and format of a"Database of Elderly People's Physical Functions," which has recently been opened to the public via the Internet. This database was built to provide information for the design of industrial products, and includes data on elderly people's physical functions, such as vision, hearing, physical movement and skin sensation. The database is for the benefit of all who wish to use it, but we especially hope that it will help those who are working to create products and environments that satisfy the needs of the elderly. The database consists of three parts: lifestyle activity analysis, reference materials, and physical function data. The reference materials include a number of existing research papers on the physical functions of the elderly as examples of search results that can be retrieved by the use of relevant keywords. The physical function data include measurements taken by surveys which were conducted to reflect actual living conditions.
View full abstract