Virtual reality could hold key to preventing elderly falls

According to AgeUK, falls are the most frequent and serious type of accident in people over 65, and the leading cause of death from injury in over 75s. Younger adults have healthier muscles in their legs and feet that act almost like sensors, enabling them to walk easily in the dark or with their eyes closed. Age, as well as degenerative diseases such as MS, diminishes that sense of proprioception, leading to a greater reliance on visual cues for balance.

The study, carried out by a team from the University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University, used a VR system and a treadmill to perturb the balance of participants while walking. A curved screen with a moving hallway was programmed to distort perception, while 14 cameras captured the movements of the volunteers’ lower bodies, which were equipped with relfective markers.

"As each person walked, we added lateral oscillations to the video imagery, so that the visual environment made them feel as if they were swaying back and forth, or falling," said Jason R Franz, assistant professor in the Joint UNC/NC State department of biomedical engineering. "The participants know they aren't really swaying, but their brains and muscles automatically try to correct their balance anyway."