Smart Flooring Solutions for Fall Protection

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Falls in older people can have a profound impact on an individual's short and long-term health. Softening the floor may provide protection but impacts the way that the floor is sensed and, as a result, affects balance. Understanding this compromise is crucial in providing effective flooring solutions. This project will look at the interactions between olderindividuals and novel flooring designed both to prevent falls and limit the consequences of falls when they happen. The studentship will include physical experiments investigating the flooring's impact on static balance. Experiments will also be performed to understand how the flooring affects movement and whether it increases the chances of, for example, tripping.This PhD will provide an exciting combination of biomedical engineering and engineering materials. It will be integrated into wider project that will include the design of the floor's structure and its smart capabilities. The PhD's contribution will include initial analysis of the floorings properties as well as its testing in the University of Surrey's human movement laboratory.Consequently, the PhD student will be providing crucial insight for the whole project team.