‘Soaring’ over hills or ‘playing’ with puppies, study finds seniors enjoy virtual reality

A screen displays a visual of being in a Navy fighter jet as Patrick, 91, wears a Mynd Immersive virtual reality headset at John Knox Village, in Pompano Beach, Florida. — AP

POMPANO BEACH, Florida: Retired Army Col. Farrell Patrick taught computer science at West Point during the 1970s and then at two private universities through the 1990s, so he isn't surprised by the progress technology has made over the decades.

But when the 91-year-old got his first virtual reality experience recently, he was stunned. Sitting in a conference room at John Knox Village, a suburban Fort Lauderdale, Florida, retirement community, Patrick sat up straight as his eyes and ears experienced what it would be like to be in a Navy fighter jet flying off the Florida coast.