At 92 years old, Fred Horley admits that he doesn’t get around quite as well as he used to. The former electronics engineer lives in Plymouth and relies on a mobility walker and scooter to get out and about. “My upper body strength is still good, but my lower body strength has gone,” he says. Recently, he put that upper body strength to good use, kayaking through the Antarctic with the help of virtual reality (VR). “It was an incredible experience. I was sitting in a chair, using my arms to get the paddles to work. The realism was extraordinary. I’d love to do it again.”
Horley was taking part in the Generating Older Active Lives Digitally (GOALD) project, run by the University of Plymouth’s Centre for Health Technology and the University of Stirling. The three-year project is investigating how to design and deliver digital resources to engage older people in activities that improve their health and wellbeing. The project has received government funding via the UK Research and Innovation Healthy Ageing Challenge programme, which has an overall mission of helping people to enjoy at least five additional healthy, independent years of life by 2035.
