RampLab
Researchers and companies utilize RampLab to explore the intricate dynamics of footwear slip resistance, leading to advancements in:
- Footwear Design: Develop cutting-edge, slip-resistant footwear for various environments, ensuring safety and comfort for users.
- Floor Material Innovation: Engineer safer tiles for spaces prone to slips, such as bathrooms, kitchens, and swimming pools, contributing to accident prevention.
- Product Development: Companies can leverage RampLab to test and refine their products, ensuring they meet the highest standards of slip resistance and safety.
By using RampLab, you are investing in a scientific and innovative approach to reducing slip and fall incidents. Join us in the pursuit of safer footwear and flooring solutions, and let's create a world with fewer preventable injuries.
Equipment Highlights
- Scientific Precision: At the heart of RampLab is a state-of-the-art ramp system featuring a 3.5m long walking surface, extendable to 4.0m, with a one-degree-of-freedom motion base. This adjustable ramp inclines from 0 to 30 degrees in 0.5-degree increments, ensuring precise testing conditions.
- Versatility in Testing: Our facility accommodates a range of test scenarios, including dry flooring, running/spraying water, and contaminated surfaces like detergent and glycerin. The walkway supports interchangeable floor surfaces such as quarry tiles, ceramic tiles, vinyl, wood, and aluminum plates, providing a comprehensive testing environment.
- Water Recycling Technology: Integrated water sprayers at the top of the ramp ensure consistent and controlled wet conditions. Our eco-friendly water recycling system minimizes resource usage during each testing session, contributing to sustainable research practices.
- Biomechanical Insights: RampLab goes beyond the basics by incorporating a motion tracking system and video capture capabilities. This enables detailed biomechanical studies, allowing researchers to analyze how footwear and floor material design influence slip and fall incidents.
Quick Facts
- Falls are the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths worldwide. 37.3 million falls that are severe enough to require medical attention occur each year.
- There are more than 8,000 emergency department visits for fall-related concussions in Canada each year.
- There are more than 13,000 emergency department visits and 10,000 hospitalizations for fall-related traumatic brain injuries in Canada each year.
- Among cases where a private home's room/area was also reported (n = 826), the stairs (25.7%), bedroom (14.8%) and bathroom (14.4%) were the three most common places where falls occurred.
- Previous research has demonstrated the ability of shoes and flooring interventions to prevent slips. For example, increasing the floor available coefficient of friction (ACOF) by 0.1 has been shown to reduce slipping by 21% (Verma et al., 2011). Similarly, implementing slip-resistant shoes has reduced slip risk by 54% (Verma et al., 2011).
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