Aussie scientists develop shoe insole to prevent elderly from falling over

SYDNEY, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Australian scientists have developed an insole for shoes that reduces the risk of elderly people falling over.

The team from Victoria University researched for more than 10 years to develop the slip, a device which goes inside a shoe and raises the distance between the toe and the ground, reducing the chance of tripping.

Rezual Begg, a supervisor from the team, said the device was designed using gait analysis and motion capture technology.

"Falls are a worldwide problem, one in three people fall every year over the age of 65 and the proportion of people in that age group is increasing," Begg told News Limited on Tuesday.

"The cost of hospitalization can be expensive and it also affects their quality of life."

Begg said the team focused on preventing tripping because more than 50 percent of falls were caused by tripping.

"When someone is walking, there is a point where the foot comes very close to the ground and we define it as a minimum toe clearance," he said.

"That point is the most critical in the walking cycle and there is a high risk of tripping. If you raise the angle of the foot then you're going to increase the toe clearance from the ground and help avoid obstacles."

In a 40-person trial of the device, three of 12 people without the insole had a fall over four months compared to one of 12 who did have the insole.

"We can't say it's going to be prevent every fall, but the results so far are good," biomechanics expert Hanatsu Nagano said.