Osteoarthritis simulation suit demoed in Britain

While we've seen an assortment of suits, ranging from the HAL cyborg suit to the iPod suit, we haven't yet seen a set of threads that will simulate the effects of a disease for the wearer. In honor of World Arthritis Day (October 12), Loughborough University's Ergonomics and Safety Research Institute has just produced an osteoarthritis suit to give journos, doctors and others an insight into this debilitating disease. The suit, which costs £20,000 (over $37,000), is "designed to constrict movement and inflict topical pain with its 'ouch pouches' – sharp, nobbly, grating or hot packs which press into the wearer during a range of activities," according to the British organization Arthritis Care. Still, we're a bit curious as to whether wearing the Bionicare Hand Device under this suit cancels out the pain.

[Via MedGadget]

[Chocolate Starfish @ Oct 17th 2006 6:37PM]

Combine that with the "wobbly-eye-drunk" goggles they used to make us wear in drivers ed and a sports mouthguard and it'll be just like you're grandpa! (without the smell of mothballs and medicine)

[blackf0rk @ Oct 17th 2006 6:57PM]

"Ok folks, I have an idea I want to run past you all. I know we have a lot of money sitting here for research on helping stop pain for people in agony. But, let's do something totally different, and make a suit that produces pain!

It'll be totally sweet. Yes...we could spend our time and money on preventing pain, but how is anyone going to know what it feels like if we don't make this? I for one feel that experience pain is far more valuable than preventing or curing it."

[tacotaco @ Oct 17th 2006 7:27PM]

SIGN ME UP FOR ONE!

You guys didn't mention when we can get our hands on this sweet piece of masochistic goodness.

[moooo @ Oct 17th 2006 7:39PM]

how about wear it inside-out so that it causes everyone else pain instead except you...

[eoin @ Oct 17th 2006 7:49PM]

why?

i think ill save $20000 and just wait til im 60

[thunderleg @ Oct 17th 2006 7:54PM]

That explains some of the characters from Phantasy Star Online...

[George Lerma @ Oct 17th 2006 8:08PM]

This isn't funny. The point of the suit is to help people understand what it feels like to live with osteoarthritis.

As an OA sufferer, I can tell you that it is difficult for people to understand what I go through everyday no matter how well I think I explain it. Doctors included.

You know how your girlfriend/wife always belittles what it feels like to get kicked in the nuts? You know how guys just can't seem to comprehend how BIG a baby's head feels during childbirth? Well, the same principle applies to OA and it is a very misunderstood condition because of it.

[sinik @ Oct 17th 2006 8:13PM]

You must be new here.

[wontoncookie @ Oct 17th 2006 8:37PM]

I think we have another Elvis sighting...

[engdgt.9.nikster @ Oct 17th 2006 9:02PM]

masochists of the world, rejoice!

[jesusbomb @ Oct 17th 2006 10:44PM]

This type of movement-restricting suit has been used before: engineers at Ford developing the Focus used such movement-restricting apparatus to guide them in designing cars to maximize the ease of getting in and out of cars that give the afore-named vehicle it's geriatric advantage over competitors for a few years now....

[John Stracke @ Oct 18th 2006 9:13AM]

I, for one, welcome our new robotic pain suits.

[Chris @ Oct 18th 2006 10:08AM]

Would using it on terrorists be considered torture? Can we make a costume out of it and give it to our coworkers on Halloween?

The uses for this suit are numerous. With this kind of demand, prices should be driven down to an affordable range. Maybe, someday, jesusbomb can get one of these instead of another Focus.

[Big Fudge @ Oct 18th 2006 10:57AM]

I have Ankylosing Spondylitis and would love to put this suit on my girlfriend just once... she always rolls her eyes when I bitch about my back pain.