Description

Produce natural, unpredictable slipping experiences

Slips and falls are random, but preventing them is an act of bottled chaos. How do you intentionally cause someone to fall by accident? Now, leading human gait researcher, Nathaniel Hunt, Ph.D., and his team in the biomechanics department at the University of Nebraska at Omaha invented a device that induces a truly natural and unpredictable slipping experience.
 
The Wearable Apparatus for Slip Perturbations, or WASP for short, easily attaches to a subject’s shoe and produces rapid loss of foot-to-ground friction. It can be wirelessly controlled by the researcher, enabling the observation of slipping throughout the entire gait cycle. It is also unpredictable, allowing researchers to isolate and remove anticipatory responses from the reactive responses of interest.
This device has tremendous potential in biomechanics research as well as clinical applications in fall prevention training.
 
To discuss licensing opportunities contact Tyler Scherr, Ph.D., at tyler.scherr@unmc.edu or 402-559-2140.