Database of Sensory Characteristics of Elderly and Challenged Persons Open to Public

Measuring sensory characteristics
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The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) announced on August 19, 2013, that it has built the database of sensory characteristics of older persons and persons with disabilities, which can graphically show the characteristics of vision, hearing and touch for specified ages and the presence of disability. The online database, available in both Japanese and English, is open to the public at http://scdb.db.aist.go.jp/?lng=en. Anyone can use it free of charge by entering the purpose of use.

Having built based on the characteristics of vision, hearing and touch measured in over 3,000 persons, the database indicates specific characteristics according to the age and presence of disability entered for the search. Data on sensory characteristics are used in the Japan Industrial Standards (JIS) guidelines for the elderly and people with disabilities. While the JIS specifications are expressed in mathematical form or in tables, the database graphically shows JIS specifications.

Conventionally, products and services we use daily, as well as our immediate environments, tend to be designed and developed for young healthy persons. This database is expected to enable industrial designers to develop products and environments for diverse persons, including the elderly and disabled, in a faster and easier manner.