House flooring materials may be one of the main causes lead to the high fall incidents among the elderly. The main objective of this study is to investigate the effects of different flooring materials on the walking motion of the elderly. 18 men (age, 70.8±3.2 years) without any walking impediments were recruited. The experiment conditions are common Japanese house flooring materials, namely wood, carpet and tatami. The participants walked on the flooring materials in randomized order and the walking motion was recorded by a three-dimensional motion analysis system. The stride length was significantly longer for tatami compared to that for wood. Foot clearance was significantly larger for carpet and tatami than that for wood. Subsequently, the initial contact hip joint and foot sole angles were significantly larger for tatami compared to that for wood and carpet. Additionally, range of hip joint, knee joint and foot sole angles were significantly larger for carpet and tatami than that for wood. The results suggest tatami may reduce the abnormal short stepped and shuffling gait often found among the elderly.

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