Vibrating shoes that use random noise to amplify subtle signals to the brain could stop people unsteady on their feet from losing their balance.



When someone leans or sways to one side, pressure on the soles of the feet increases on that side. Normally the nervous system detects these changes and automatically corrects posture. But some people, particularly the elderly, have trouble picking up these signals and sway much more than normal even when they think they are standing still.