Split-belt controllable treadmill with differential velocity-based fall stimulation and motion analysis

Amid trends toward aging populations in developed nations, the number of people requiring nursing care has increased markedly. Slips and falls during ordinary daily activities are a common cause of fractured bones and muscle injury. Several studies have analyzed the movements produced by artificially generated slip and fall stimuli, but few have investigated these stimuli. We analyzed lower-limb motion following a slip and fall stimulus produced using a pulled free-walking system consisting of a controllable split-belt treadmill, where a speed difference between the belts could be applied to produce a slipping motion. In three male participants, we established slip motion by applying acceleration in the sagittal plane direction of the right leg immediately upon contact with the treadmill. Each participant demonstrated a different recovery method from falling.