FLOORING Performance Space Functionality M1: Stiff under walking Functionality M2: Compliant under impact Functionality M3: Wheelchair friendly Inverse design problem Functionality E1: Movement tracking Functionality E2: Fall detection
Various electrical loadings
Figure 6: A schematic of the design considerations for the optimal flooring solution.
who spend the majority of their time in a home environment, the floor has a great potential to be repurposed as a large sensor for device-free positioning, as well as fall detection. As a part of this
project, we will introduce an innovative sensing technology to the floors with the potential to predict and monitor for falls. Developing low-cost pressure/ deflection sensing materials for flooring
Dr Amy Drahota
Dr. Amy K. Drahota is a Reader (Associate Professor) in Health & Social Care Evidence & Evaluation at the University of Portsmouth, with a focus on the health and care of older adults, falls and injury prevention, and age-friendly environments. She obtained her PhD on the influence of healthcare environments on patient outcomes in 2007, and has since worked in the field of flooring interventions. Dr Drahota has worked collaboratively to deliver the first and only hospital-based randomised experiment (the HIP-HOP Flooring Study) on shock-absorbing sports flooring (referred to in Health Building Note 00-10: Part A – Flooring). More recently she has led on a Health Technology Assessment of shock-absorbing flooring for fall-related injury prevention in hospitals and care homes (The SAFEST Review), described in this article. Her role at the University of Portsmouth includes undertaking research, supporting postgraduate research students, and delivering learning on undertaking and evaluating research.
Dr Iman Mohagheghian
Dr. Iman Mohagheghian is a senior lecturer in Mechanics of Materials at the School of Mechanical Engineering Sciences at the University of Surrey. His core expertise is around designing, manufacturing, modelling, and testing the performance of novel lightweight energy-absorbing materials and structures. He received his PhD from the University of Cambridge in 2013 in the field of impact mechanics. His PhD was on the application of polymers and polymer nanocomposites as lightweight impact energy-absorbing materials. Prior to joining the University of Surrey in 2017, he was a research associate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College London. The focus of his current research is around design for multifunctionality. He is currently the principal investigator on an EPSRC-funded project, EP/T009306/1, ‘Multifunctional flooring: design for independent living’. The aim of this project is to deliver a holistic design approach in developing novel multi-functional floorings with passive fall prevention, detection, and protection, in one integrated solution.
62 Health Estate Journal August 2023
with minimal environmental impact is one of the key objectives of this project. Also, with the help of artificial intelligence, we aim to create design maps to capture the trade-off between different required functionalities by systematic exploration of the whole design space. This design space can then be exploited for multi-functional flooring, and enable designers to provide an optimal solution for a particular care setting.
n How will shock-absorbency feature in your flooring-related decisions? If this article has helped shape your thinking around selecting healthcare flooring (in any direction), we would be interested to hear from you. Please contact
amy.drahota@port.ac.uk to let me know your thoughts.
References 1 Drahota A, Felix LM, Raftery J, Keenan BE, Lachance CC, Mackey DC et al. Shock- absorbing flooring for fall-related injury prevention in older adults and staff in hospitals and care homes: the SAFEST systematic review. Health Technol Assess 2022; 26(5). Available from: DOI: 10.3310/ZOWL2323
2 Drahota A, Felix LM, Raftery J, Keenan BE, Lachance CC, Mackey DC et al. The SAFEST review: a mixed methods systematic review of shock- absorbing flooring for fall-related injury prevention. BMC Geriatr 2022; 22(32). Available from:
https://doi.org/10.1186/ s12877-021-02670-4
3 Mackey DC, Lachance CC, Wang PWT, Feldman F, Laing AC, Leung PM et al. The flooring for injury prevention (FLIP) study of compliant flooring for the prevention of fall-related injuries in long- term care: a randomized trial. PLoS Med. 2019;16:e1002843.
Material variables in cell level
Design
variables in floor level
Various
mechanical loadings
Geometry variables in cell level
Design Space
Potential coupling between different functionalities
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