Treadmill Tripping with Safety Harness as Method to Research and Train for Human Slips, Trips and Falls


Scientists are tripping the elderly on purpose in a Chicago lab in an effort to better prevent seniors from falling and injuring themselves in real life.

University of Illinois at Chicago researcher Clive Pai studies topics, such as awareness and perception of slipperiness, postural and balance control, rating scales for balance, adaptation to slippery conditions, measurement of unexpected movements, kinematics of slipping, and protective movements during falling.

According to the University of Illinois at Chicago, Dr. Clive Pai obtained his Ph.D. (1987) in Biomechanics from the University of Iowa and his Master of Physical Therapy (MPT, 1996) from Northwestern University, where he was an Associate from 1987-1990, an Assistant Professor from 1990-1996, and Research Associate Professor from 1997-2000. Dr. Pai became a tenured Associate Professor and the Director of the Clinical Gait and Movement Analysis Laboratory in the Department of Physical Therapy at UIC in 2000, and was promoted to a full professor in 2004.

See also
UIC Department of Physical Therapy Yi-Chung (Clive) Pai, PhD, PT