Development of A Road Surface Discrimination Device for Preventing Falls during Winter Walking - Built-In to Shoes and Verification on Frozen Surfaces -

Satoshi Izumiya, Keisuke Kon, Hiroki Matsuzaki, Tamotsu Mitamura

In areas with cold winters, snow worsens road surface conditions and causes icy roads that are likely to induce falls. Pedestrians need to use anti-slip products and observe the road surface to avoid falling. However, because it is unrealistic to constantly walk attentively, people exhibit only temporary alertness and cautiousness. Therefore, we developed smart shoes that aid in road surface perception. In this study, we manufactured a device to obtain necessary road surface information, in an effort to clarify whether the surface characteristics of a frozen road surface can be obtained when the device is incorporated into the shoes. In addition, we examined whether useful indicators had been obtained to determine the road surface.

The participants were three healthy adult men without any difficulties in walking. The measurement was performed in the winter as the participants walked on an outdoor frozen road.

The differences between the dry and frozen road surfaces tended to appear at the end of the swing phase, as seen in the road surface information results (reflected light and road surface temperature).

After fabricating a device capable of obtaining road surface information and performing walking experiments on actual frozen surfaces, the results suggest that road surface information can be obtained, even during wintertime walking. This device also enables the acquisition of useful indicators for road surface determination. 

https://doi.org/10.31871/IJNTR.5.11.40