New Trial Explores How Smart Flooring Could Help Prevent Serious Injuries By Cushioning Falls

With 219,000 fall-related emergency infirmary admissions among group aged 65 and complete successful England successful 2023/24, a caller proceedings astatine nan University of Surrey is exploring really smart flooring could thief forestall superior injuries by cushioning falls - perchance easing unit connected nan NHS and reshaping nan creation of hospitals, attraction homes and moreover backstage homes.

In nan ongoing study, participants deterioration reflective assemblage markers that are tracked by infrared cameras, allowing researchers to measurement really different level materials - ranging from soft to difficult - impact a person's balance, activity and stability. The findings will shape nan instauration for designing caller protective flooring that looks and feels for illustration a regular aboveground but tin sorb nan effect of a fall.

The squad is presently seeking patient big volunteers of each ages, peculiarly those aged 65 and over, to participate successful nan trial.

Every twelvemonth successful nan UK, hundreds of thousands of older adults acquisition a autumn - galore of which lead to lengthy infirmary stays and, tragically, immoderate fatalities. Government figures show that unaddressed autumn hazards successful nan location unsocial costs nan NHS successful England astir £435 cardinal annually, while fragility fractures - often caused by falls - costs nan UK an estimated £4.4 cardinal each year, including £1.1 cardinal successful societal care. To thief easiness unit connected nan wellness work and protect lives, we're investigating really different flooring types impact equilibrium - pinch nan extremity of supporting nan creation of safer, smarter surfaces successful various settings."

Silas Purja, Postgraduate Researcher, University of Surrey's School of Engineering and lead interrogator successful nan trial

The existent shape of nan study involves testing different property groups connected their expertise to guidelines and locomotion connected various level conditions successful a controlled indoor situation astatine nan University. Researchers tin past analyse really different levels of stiffness impact participants' earthy balance.

The semipermanent imagination is simply a flooring strategy that remains patient during normal usage but softens erstwhile personification falls - reducing nan consequence of surgery bones aliases caput injuries. From nan outside, it would lucifer modular synthetic tiles aliases rubber flooring, but pinch smart materials and systems hidden beneath. As nan exertion matures, nan flooring could yet beryllium rolled retired successful hospitals, attraction homes and backstage homes wherever older group are astir astatine risk.

Dr Iman Mohagheghian, Associate Professor (Reader) successful Mechanics of Materials astatine nan University of Surrey and Principal Investigator connected nan project, said:

"Trials for illustration this are important for determining age-related differences successful equilibrium and movement, and really those differences interact pinch nan surfaces we locomotion connected each day. Volunteers who return portion will play an important domiciled successful helping america creation safer, much supportive environments, and their contributions could yet thief forestall life-altering injuries. If you would for illustration to beryllium portion of our research, we'd emotion to perceive from you."

The study is portion of nan wider Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)-funded task Multifunctional Flooring: Design for Independent Living, led by Dr Iman Mohagheghian. The task brings together an interdisciplinary squad of researchers, including Dr Matthew Oldfield and Dr Radu Sporea from nan University of Surrey, and Dr Amy Drahota from nan University of Portsmouth.

The squad is moving intimately pinch commercialized partners and manufacturers of flooring for healthcare settings and precocious sensor and touch technologies. Together they purpose to create an integrated flooring solution that provides passive autumn prevention, real-time autumn discovery and effect protection successful one.

Participants will person a £10 expenses costs for their clip on pinch free parking astatine nan University. To registry your liking aliases find retired more, interaction Silas straight astatine [email protected].