Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2008

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the effects of shoe traction and obstacle height on friction during walking to better understand the mechanisms required to avoid slippage following obstacle clearance. Ten male subjects walked at a self-selected pace during eight different conditions: four obstacle heights (0%, 10%, 20%, and 40% of limb length) while wearing two different pairs of shoes (low and high traction). Frictional forces were calculated from the ground reaction forces following obstacle clearance, which were sampled with a Kistler platform at 960 Hz. All frictional peaks increased with increases in obstacle height. Low traction shoes yielded smaller peaks than high traction shoes. The transition from braking to propulsion occurred sooner due to altered control strategies with increased obstacle height. Collectively, these results provided insights into kinetic strategies of leading limb when confronted with low traction and high obstacle environments.

Comments

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Ergonomics in 2008, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00140130701749893#abstract.

Journal Title

Ergonomics

Volume

51

Issue

12

First Page

1847

Last Page

1859

Included in

Biomechanics Commons

Share

COinS