Engineers at the University of Strathclyde have been working with Israeli firm Step of Mind Ltd. to develop shoes that teach elderly folks how to walk with confidence. The SMILING (Self Mobility Improvement in the Elderly by Counteracting Falls) system utilizes motors on the bottom of the shoes to randomly create obstacles for the wearer. The idea is to give people a controlled environment to practice situations that may otherwise lead to slips and falls. So far researchers have conduced trials in Italy, Switzerland, Israel and Slovakia, and are analyzing the results.
Press release: Training shoe will improve mobility in older people…
Link: Step of Mind Ltd…
(hat tip: The Engineer)