The impact of crossable danger tactile ground indicators on the center of mass and reaction forces during walking of healthy sighted subjects

Pedestrian distraction from smartphone use has become a serious safety hazard in urban areas. Traditional safety systems, such as raised crosswalks, smartphone apps, and intelligent alarm systems, have limits in terms of cost, maintenance, accessibility, and effectiveness. Tactile ground indicators, which were originally created to help blind and visually impaired pedestrians, may be a simple and effective solution since they provide mechanical stimuli that can induce sensorimotor responses in distracted walkers.Objectives The purpose of this study was to analyze the kinematic and kinetic effects of tactile ground indicators in M-PVC-P technopolimer on gait in healthy sighted people to determine their potential as passive haptic alert systems.Methods Sixteen healthy individuals walked across two tactile codes, “crossable danger” and “attention” codes, as well as a straight tactile paving (control). Gait kinematics and kinetics were measured with a stereophotogrammetric motion capture system and dynamometric platforms. The center of mass displacement and ground reaction forces were investigated and statistically compared.Results Walking over both tactile codes resulted in a significant increase in medio-lateral center of mass displacement compared to the control path. The vertical ground reaction force and its two peaks were much lower on tactile codes, indicating a more cautious and adaptable stride pattern. The “attention” code reduced antero-posterior force displacement and increased medio-lateral displacement.Conclusions Mechanical disturbances caused by tactile ground indicators affect gait dynamics in healthy individuals, activating postural control mechanisms. These findings show that tactile surfaces could be used as low-cost haptic alert systems to improve pedestrian awareness, particularly among smartphone-distracted walkers.