Perception of walking speed on a treadmill.

Abstract

Setting up walking speed on three conditions; their own casual walking, walking which they felt one and half times as fast (an increase by 50%), walking they felt half times as fast (a decrease by 50%) on 19 normal adults, we compared and examined their perception of the speed on the floor and on treadmills. The results showed that the walking speed was faster on the floor on any corresponding condition. Nor mal speed on the floor was felt almost equal to the 50%-raised speed on treadmills. Therefore, if we state the speed on the floor as a standard speed, we think this research substantiates that walking on a treadmill at the standard speed makes one feel walking considerably faster than he does. Moreover,it also confirmed that there is correspondence between the walking speeds on the floor and on a treadmill, and that there is a common feature in speed control.