Experimental Analyses of Load Carrying Effects on the Peak Traction Coefficient between Shoe Sole and Floor during Walking

Abstract

This paper presents the effect of load carrying (position and weight of load) on the maximum peak values of traction coefficient between shoe sole and floor during walking on level walkway. Gait experiments were conducted by five healthy male adult participants walking on the force plates with carrying the loads. Each subject was tested at step length of 0.75 m and at walking speed of 1.4 m/s. They were instructed to carry the loads by three different ways; a 2-handed load carrying, a back-pack load carrying, and a waist level front load carrying. Weight of load was 49, 98, 147 or 196 N for each way of load carrying. For a waist level front load carrying, the maximum peak traction coefficient at heel strike period |F h /F n | h statistically significantly (p < 0.01) decreased with increasing of weight of load. On the other hand for other ways of load carrying, |F h /F n | h was not affected significantly (p > 0.05) by weight of load. For each way of load carrying, the maximum peak value of traction coefficient at toe-off period |F h /F n | t had tendency to increase with increase of weight of load. The relationship between the slip potential and the COM position change by load carrying were also discussed.

Wearable Haptic Feedback System for Training Propulsion Force in Individuals with Solid Ankle Foot Orthosis: Development and Validation

“…The author also suggested that modulation in the CoM and CoP separation can be used as strategy to avoid slips (increase in the GRFAP) during heel strike. In continuation with this study, many other studies [43]- [48], also exploited the concept of the modulation in the CoM and CoP separation for predicting the GRFAP requirement to avoid slips and related falls. Thus, this practical evidence of the fact that the CoM and CoP separation affects GRFAP is strategically utilized to our purpose of modulating the GRFAP with AFO use in our study.…”

Wearable Haptic Feedback System for Training Propulsion Force in Individuals with Solid Ankle Foot Orthosis: Development and Validation

“…The author also suggested that modulation in the CoM and CoP separation can be used as strategy to avoid slips (increase in the GRFAP) during heel strike. In continuation with this study, many other studies [43]- [48], also exploited the concept of the modulation in the CoM and CoP separation for predicting the GRFAP requirement to avoid slips and related falls. Thus, this practical evidence of the fact that the CoM and CoP separation affects GRFAP is strategically utilized to our purpose of modulating the GRFAP with AFO use in our study.…”

Preliminary Study of Wide Base-of-Support Footwear in Preventing Falls Caused by Lateral Slip during Walking

“…Slipping is likely to occur during transient movements such as turning, in which walking speed and direction are changed, compared with steady-state movement such as linear walking at constant speed. This slipping results due to increased traction coefficient at the shoe-floor interface [7][8][9][10]. When slip occurs during turning, the supporting foot slides laterally, in the direction opposite to turning, causing a lateral fall [11].…”