A TREMENDOUS NUMBER OF INJURIES OCCUR EACH YEAR DUE TO SLIPPING AND FAILLING ON WET SURFACES.

A TREMENDOUS NUMBER OF INJURIES OCCUR EACH YEAR DUE TO SLIPPING AND FAILLING ON WET SURFACES. SERIOUS INJURIES CAN RESULT FROM SUCH FALLS, RESULTING IN COSTS FOR HOSPITALIZATION AND LOSS OF PRODUCTIVITY. PROPERLY DESIGNED SHOES WITH NONSKID HEELS AND SOLES CAN CONTRIBUTE TO REDUCING THESE INJURIES. THE PROBLEM OF DESIGNING NONSKID HEEL AND SOLES WILL BE APPROACHED BY USING IDEAS DEVELOPED FOR LUBICATION OF COMPLIANT BEARINGS. HOWEVER, INSTEAD OF DESIGNING THE HEEL AND SOLE TO PRODUCE A LUBRICATING FILM WE WILL DESIGN THEM SO THAT THEY CANNOT PRODUCE A LUBRICATING FILM. THIS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THE SELECTION OF MATERIAL PROPERTIES (FOR THE HEEL AND SOLE) AND BY INCORPORATING A PERMANENT SURFACE ROUGHNESS IN THE HEEL AND SOLE MATERIALS.