Avoiding Stumbles, from Spacewalks to Sidewalks
From: Wireless Design Magazine - 07/21/2016

At the International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction researchers
presented the results of a preliminary study designed to determine what types
of stimuli, administered to what parts of the foot, could provide the best
navigation cues to prevent falls. On the basis of that study, they're
planning further trials using a prototype of an instrumented haptic boot.

The work could also have applications in the design of navigation systems for
the visually impaired. The development of such systems has been hampered by a
lack of efficient and reliable means of communicating spatial information to
users.

There's some prior work on using vibrating insoles to alert people with
impaired proprioception - physical self-awareness - when they're beginning to
tip off-balance.

Read the entire article at:
https://www.wirelessdesignmag.com/news/2016/07/avoiding-stumbles-spacewalks-sidewalks

Links:
A virtual "guide dog" for navigation
http://news.mit.edu/2016/virtual-guide-dog-wearable-device-0202

Leia Stirling
http://aeroastro.mit.edu/faculty-research/faculty-list/leia-stirling