• The number of fatalities due to falling accidents indoor/outdoor has increased in Japan as well as in other advanced countries. The fatalities due to falling accidents in a year have exceeded those due to traffic accidents in Japan recently. Because more than 80% of the fatalities are elderly people, it is considered an urgent issue to prevent their falling. We have conducted researches on falling during walking due to induced slip, in the contact interface of shoe sole and floor, through tribological and biomechanical approaches. We clarified the required values of static friction coefficient (figure 1), between shoe sole and floor, and how to gait to prevent slipping through kinetic analysis of gait. We also succeeded in the development of a unique footwear outsole having the high-grip property (figure 2) and high slip-resistant concrete pavement blocks (figure 3) through the collaboration with regional companies. We have recently conducted research and development of footwear that is able to prevent falls due to balance loss after slipping.

Products for fall prevention in daily life or in work site. Evaluation of slip resistance of footwear and floor materials.

• tribology
• biomechanics
• slip
• fall
• elderly people