Industry representatives from health technology and telecare are invited to attend the next Emergence Healthcare Technologies Network event, taking place at the National Robotarium.
An interactive workshop, participants will explore the use of intelligent and robotic systems for the elderly or frail. Insights into the challenges facing healthcare professionals will be shared, along with hands-on exploration of new technologies, including robots and smart sensors, in the facility’s living lab.
📌 Tackling Frailty: Facilitating the Emergence of Healthcare Robots from Labs into Services
📅 Tuesday 4 June
🕙 1000-1600
📍 The National Robotarium, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh
The National Robotarium is hosting the second Edinburgh Tourism Action Group (ETAG) ‘Tech Tuesday’ event, taking place from 12-3pm on Tuesday 14 May.
Industry professionals from the hospitality, tourism and travel sectors are invited along for an afternoon of networking, talks and discussion exploring how robotics can support the sector.
📣 Robotics in Hospitality & Tourism: Practical Solutions for your Business
📅 Tuesday 14 May
🕛 12-3pm
🗺 The National Robotarium, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh
FREE 🎟 via ETAG Eventbrite
https://thenationalrobotarium.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC0223-copy-scaled.jpg17072560Louise Jackhttp://thenationalrobotarium.com/wp-content/uploads/Robotarium.pngLouise Jack2024-05-07 12:40:442024-05-16 13:29:53ETAG Tech Tuesday at the National Robotarium – Tuesday 14 May, 12-3pm
A robot that can wink, laugh, and shrug is about to turn the National Robotarium in Edinburgh into its first home in the UK.
Ameca, which is made by British company Engineered Arts, will be used as part of the facility’s outreach work with school pupils and the general public to study humans’ reactions to robots.
The National Robotarium, the UK’s centre for robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) based at Heriot-Watt University in partnership with The University of Edinburgh, has purchased Ameca, making it the first place in the UK to have this state-of-the-art humanoid robot.
Described by Engineered Arts as the ‘world’s most advanced’ humanoid robot, Ameca’s sophisticated features include embedded microphones, cameras, facial recognition software, and articulated motorised components which enable it to interact with people in a natural and engaging way. By showcasing Ameca’s capabilities through its public outreach and education programmes, the National Robotarium will seek to break down barriers and build trust between humans and robots.
Ameca will be utilised as part of the National Robotarium’s outreach and engagement programme, helping to build trust in robotics and improve adoption.
The facility’s dedicated public engagement team will feature Ameca at various events, school visits, and workshops across Scotland and beyond, providing opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to interact directly with the robot and learn about the latest advancements in robotics and AI.
Researchers will also utilise Ameca to study public perceptions and attitudes towards humanoid robots, gathering valuable insights to inform the development of future technologies that prioritise trust, transparency, and user-friendliness.
Steve Maclaren is Chief Operating Officer at the National Robotarium. He said:
“The arrival of Ameca at the National Robotarium marks a significant step forward in our mission to make robotics more accessible and relatable to the people of Scotland, the UK and beyond. Since opening our doors in September 2022, we’ve successfully hosted more than 50 in-person and virtual events and engaged with 1000s of school-aged children.
“Ameca represents an exciting opportunity to build on that success and take public engagement to the next level. By giving people the chance to interact with this state-of-the-art humanoid robot firsthand, we aim to demystify robotics, foster trust in human-robot interaction, and showcase the remarkable potential of these technologies to improve our daily lives and benefit society as a whole.”
Will Jackson is the founder and CEO of Engineered Arts Ltd. He said:
“We are incredibly proud to have Ameca join the many preeminent robots at the National Robotarium. Meeting an AI-embodied humanoid robot is a unique experience that very few people have witnessed and we are very excited to be able to share what can be a profound moment with a wider audience.”
The National Robotarium is part of the Data-Driven Innovation initiative, supported by £21 million from the UK Government and £1.4 million from the Scottish Government. The initiative aims to turn Edinburgh into the data capital of Europe and is part of the wider £1.5 billion Edinburgh and South-East Scotland City Region Deal.
https://thenationalrobotarium.com/wp-content/uploads/Ben-38-scaled-e1724410004325.jpg6651000Louise Jackhttp://thenationalrobotarium.com/wp-content/uploads/Robotarium.pngLouise Jack2024-04-17 00:01:472024-04-16 12:20:58‘World’s most advanced’ humanoid robot arrives at the National Robotarium
With the backing of funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), UKRAS-STEP will strengthen the UK’s Robotics and Autonomous Systems capabilities, improve the long-term career prospects of Research Technical Professionals (RTPs) and create stronger links between academia, industry and government.
Through a consortium of 37 universities within the existing UKRAS network, the project, led by University of Leeds Professor of Robotics, Robert Richardson, will deliver a programme of education across eight themes, designed to support the diverse range of technical expertise that currently supports world-class robotics research.
“Research technicians are the backbone of world-leading research into Robotics and Autonomous Systems, providing a wealth of technical expertise and operational support…”
– Steve Maclaren, Chief Operating Officer at the National Robotarium
Professor Richardson said: “Research Technicians in Robotics and Autonomous Systems play a pivotal role in advancing robotics research across various industry sectors in the UK, spanning from transport and healthcare to manufacturing and unmanned systems.
“Despite their amazing contribution, career growth opportunities are limited and as a result, some areas experience high staff turnover. UKRAS STEPS will establish a dedicated platform to address these challenges by facilitating the development of secondments, training programmes and mentorship schemes.
COO Steve Maclaren and Senior Technician Thomas McGravie
The National Robotarium will lead in formation of a number of task groups, each focused on addressing a particular challenge within the technical research sector. Through an open call, HEIs from the UK-RAS network will work together to deliver tasks ranging from small projects and producing training materials to holding national workshops and influencing policy through white papers.
“The UKRAS-STEP initiative will enable me and other technical research colleagues working in robotics across the UK to connect, share knowledge and best practice.”
– Thomas McGravie, Senior Technician at the National Robotarium
Chief Operating Officer at the National Robotarium Steve Maclaren will lead on the Task Groups work package. He said: “We are thrilled to be a part of the UKRAS-STEP programme and work with the RAS community to help advance training and opportunities for technical research staff.
“Research technicians are the backbone of world-leading research into Robotics and Autonomous Systems, providing a wealth of technical expertise and operational support that enable scientists to conduct research safely and effectively in an optimum research environment.
“Without them, we would be unable to maintain and manage essential research components such as robotic equipment, lab space, computer systems and software, so it is vital that our community of technical research professionals feel valued with opportunities to develop and grow.”
Thomas McGravie has been Senior Technician for Heriot-Watt University at the National Robotarium since it opened in September 2022. He said: “The UKRAS-STEP initiative will enable me and other technical research colleagues working in robotics across the UK to connect, share knowledge and best practice, and build upon our individual and collective skills.
“I’m excited to see the proposal come to life and look forward working more closely with the wider RTP community.”
About UKRAS-STEP
The UK Robotics and Autonomous Systems Strategic Technical Platform (UKRAS-STEP), led by University of Leeds, is one of 11 new projects benefitting from a share of a new £16 million investment by EPSRC and UKRI Digital Research Infrastructure (DRI) to improve the long-term career prospects of Research Technical Professionals (RTPs).
UKRAS-STEP will create a community-driven strategic technology platform that empowers individuals to develop, while building an inclusive community to enhance the UK research environment and support the delivery of world-class research in the UK.
Its three main objectives are:
i) To enhance individual technical knowledge, skills and career development amongst research technicians;
ii) Provide opportunities for networking, knowledge-sharing, community-driven activities, celebrating and promotion success, international collaboration and national advocacy;
iii) Deliver a flagship programme that is inclusive, ethical and sustainable.
https://thenationalrobotarium.com/wp-content/uploads/1000002836.jpg17342312Louise Jackhttp://thenationalrobotarium.com/wp-content/uploads/Robotarium.pngLouise Jack2024-03-18 11:04:362024-08-23 10:51:06The National Robotarium to support robotics technician development across UK
https://thenationalrobotarium.com/wp-content/uploads/C_Locher_NR_HoP_DSC_8409_sm-e1709809883982.jpg8551688Louise Jackhttp://thenationalrobotarium.com/wp-content/uploads/Robotarium.pngLouise Jack2024-03-07 11:03:102024-04-08 16:07:55The National Robotarium launches ‘future of UK robotics’ manifesto at UK Parliament
Next-generation socially assistive robots have been successfully tested in a healthcare setting to assist patients, alleviate their anxiety, and relieve pressure on nursing staff as part of a hospital trial co-conducted by researchers from the National Robotarium in Paris, France.
The SPRING (Socially Assistive Robots in Gerontological healthcare) trial developed robots equipped with advanced artificial intelligence to enable natural conversations, understand patient needs, and assist hospital staff with routine tasks across three waves of experiments with elderly volunteers at Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris.
Results show that robots were able to smoothly engage in social interactions like greeting patients, answering questions, and providing directions. Critically, robots are quickly demonstrating an ability to comprehend multi-party conversations – following dialogue between several individuals simultaneously.
By undertaking simple but repetitive duties, robots also reduced potential physical contact between clinicians and patients as part of the trial, with early feedback suggesting the use of socially assistive robots may lower infection transmission risk, while boosting productivity of nurses and doctors.
Anxiety and uncertainty can often precede a hospital visit and it is understood that this behaviour can be more pronounced in senior patients, with up to 20% of older adults suffering from the illness1. It is hoped that the availability of helpful and socially intelligent robots that can converse and answer initial screening questions whilst alleviating busy hospital staff could prove extremely beneficial in clinical settings.
Patients and companions make their enquiries with the ARI robot
Professor Anne-Sophie Rigaud, Head of Department at Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, said:
“Our patients are increasingly interested in robotics and the evolution of hospital services, which they see as the logical evolution of our society. We believe that the ARI robot could in future become an essential element of patient care in hospitals, thanks to its capacity for social interaction and guidance.
“Older adults have also expressed that they’re pleased with the design of the robot and thought that it would be useful to provide information and companionship to patients with cognitive disorders.”
The feasibility of implementing the SPRING project has been made possible by academics at the National Robotarium who have made major advances in developing large language models (LLM) that enable robots to be capable of natural and fluent conversations with groups of people.
The Paris trials have provided key insights into how this emerging technology can enhance care delivery and safety whilst simultaneously advancing innovations in areas like computer vision, audio processing and human-robot interaction which have potential for further global applications.
The €8.4 million collaborative SPRING project includes researchers from Heriot Watt University, the National Robotarium, the Czech Technical University, Bar Ilan University Israel, University of Trento Italy, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, PAL Robotics Spain, ERM AUtomatismes France, and is coordinated by Inria France. SPRING received support from Horizon 2020, a programme funded by the European Union.
The National Robotarium is part of the Data-Driven Innovation initiative, supported by £21 million from the UK Government and £1.4 million from the Scottish Government. The initiative aims to turn Edinburgh into the data capital of Europe and is part of the wider £1.3 billion Edinburgh and South-East Scotland City Region Deal.
Professor Oliver Lemon, academic co-lead at the National Robotarium
Oliver Lemon is a professor of AI and academic co-lead at the National Robotarium. He said:
“Today’s rapid advances in AI are truly inspiring and open up a world of possibilities for its positive impact on various sectors, including healthcare. One of the most significant contributions of robotics and AI is its ability to conserve resources and alleviate human workload, therefore providing valuable new tools for enhancing healthcare delivery.
“The prospect of robots seamlessly collaborating with hospital staff to enhance the patient experience is now closer to reality. Promising initial trials at Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris have demonstrated our robot’s ability to converse effectively with patients and their companions simultaneously.
“We believe that the SPRING project marks a significant milestone in the development of interactive robotics, and we are proud of its achievements, while recognising the exciting challenges that lie ahead.”
UK Government Minister for Scotland, Malcolm Offord, said:
“The early trials into helper robots successfully demonstrates the great potential such advanced technology has to deliver vital support to health staff, improve patient care and prevent the spread of infections and diseases.
“The UK Government has invested £21 million in the National Robotarium helping foster world-leading research and support high quality jobs, investment and growth, as part of our more than £2.9 billion investment to level up across Scotland.”
Scottish Government Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy Secretary, Neil Gray, said:
“I welcome this progress using artificial intelligence to help ease the pressure on health service staff.
“With Scottish Government support, the National Robotarium is using cutting edge research to help drive innovation and artificial intelligence to deliver creative solutions to real world challenges.”
https://thenationalrobotarium.com/wp-content/uploads/ARI-INRIA-4-scaled.jpg14402560Louise Jackhttp://thenationalrobotarium.com/wp-content/uploads/Robotarium.pngLouise Jack2024-01-31 00:01:252024-01-31 09:23:00Socially assistive robots deployed in Paris hospital to ease pressure on staff and reassure patients
Robotics and automation are already helping to reduce risk to humans and increase productivity on building sites, writes Pete Felton, Business Development Executive at the National Robotarium.
FROM its early use on films such as Rocky, Marathon Man, and The Shining through to its modern appearances at the side of football matches and other sporting clashes, the Steadicam has revolutionised the life of camera operators, removing much of the strain of manoeuvring heavy equipment from their shoulders and arms. Soon, construction workers should be benefiting from similar assisted technology too.
In the same way that the Steadicam rig helps camera operators by spreading the weight of cameras, batteries, and monitors throughout their core, engineers are developing systems to aid construction workers in handling heavy tools. Rather than putting the pressure on workers’ shoulders or arms, these robotic structures should help to spread the load, cutting down on the number of potential workplace injuries.
Other robotic systems are already making a difference on construction sites. Hilti’s Jaibot semi-autonomous drilling robot is harnessing data from building information modelling (BIM) systems to carry out mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) installation tasks such as overhead drilling, both improving productivity and reducing the strain on human workers.
Helping to narrow the skills gap
That focus on health and safety is one of the key areas in which robotics and automation can help to take people away from dangerous and dirty jobs, helping to improve the quality of life for everyone. Robots and people can work side by side in safety.
This isn’t about robots taking people’s jobs – there’s a massive skills shortage in the construction industry and so if we can take workers away from mundane and repetitive jobs and use robots instead then those workers can be retrained to carry out more skilled tasks, adding greater value to projects and giving them more job satisfaction.
Brick-laying machines don’t work well because people are better suited to that type of skilled work. But, in the pre-construction phase, robots could be assembling panels and other prefabricated materials, freeing up people to do tasks on site that require finer skills – such as sealing, plumbing, or installing electrics – which are much harder for robots.
Pete Felton, Business Development Executive at the National Robotarium
Harnessing the power of digital twins
Here at The National Robotarium, we know that it’s no good talking the talk if we don’t walk the walk as well. That’s why we used a Spot robot – built by Boston Dynamics and kitted out with sensors by our team – to inspect our building site at night when construction was underway on our flagship facility.
This type of simultaneous localisation and mapping work is going to become even more important when stricter building regulations are introduced throughout the UK. Robots can help to gather the data that will be needed to prove that construction projects comply with environmental regulations – if robots don’t carry out this type of work then construction companies will need to employ people, at significant expense, to carry out mundane tasks such as checking sealant and auditing insulation.
Ultimately, using robots to gather data will enable the creation of digital twins while office blocks and industrial projects are being constructed, creating an accurate record of where each wire, cable, pipe, and duct is situated. Those digital twins can then be passed on by the builder to the facilities manager, making the maintenance of properties much easier and creating a digital link all the way through from the architect to the maintenance staff.
Widening opportunities for export success
As well as improving conditions for workers and increasing productivity in the UK, the greater use of robotics and automation could also generate an economic boost for Britain through exports too. If British construction companies harness the power of robots then the technologies they create and the expertise they develop could be exported to markets throughout the world.
The building boom across the Gulf States and the wider Middle East is set to be eclipsed by the growth of the affluent middle classes in India, with the ensuing need for buildings that rapid urbanisation will bring. Such growth can only be achieved in an environmentally sustainable way if robotics and automation are harnessed throughout the construction process, from prefabrication through to retrofitting of existing buildings to make sure they keep dwellers cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
BIM and automation go hand-in-hand when it comes to energy efficiency, both for cooling systems and heating systems, making sure that buildings consume as little power as possible. If we get these factors correct in the UK then we can export that expertise around the world.
Health and safety and digital twinning are just two of the exciting areas in which robots can make a difference to building projects, but our engineers are always looking to work with staff at the sharp end of the construction industry to come up with new ideas – that’s why the doors at The National Robotarium are always open for collaborations.
This article was originally published in BIM Plus magazine on 11 January 2024.
https://thenationalrobotarium.com/wp-content/uploads/AdobeStock_220539261-scaled.jpeg17072560Louise Jackhttp://thenationalrobotarium.com/wp-content/uploads/Robotarium.pngLouise Jack2024-01-22 16:23:192024-01-22 16:24:25How robots are taking BIM to the next level
I knew when it began that 2023 was going to be an interesting year. I had secured a Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Fellowship to pursue Frontier Robotics, a new spin-out created to advance software for underwater robotic autonomy, exploration and inspection and had one year to make the company a reality. Little did I know that, by the year’s close, I would be exhibiting our technology in Dubai during COP28, the world’s largest climate change conference, and meeting VIPs, including royalty!
The support included in the Fellowship provided a great grounding to this whirlwind year. As well as a year’s salary, it offered new Fellows a business support programme, consisting of several days intensive business training from St John’s Innovation Centre with expert advice encompassing pitching, branding and marketing, finance, and legal – all the foundational elements of a fledgling business – as well as access network of ~600 other startup companies. The Fellowship also provided a £15k business support grant that I put towards early-stage financing, webservers, and integrating our core produce AUIP (Autonomous Underwater Inspection Payload) with an ROV manufacturer for a potential future partnership in Norway.
3D reconstruction from testing in a harbour in Norway
The advice and insight from the Fellowship proved invaluable. In May, Frontier Robotics won £100k grant at the Scottish EDGE Awards, the highest possible funding, including a special EDGE prize for Net Zero. This was only our first attempt (I’d heard anecdotally that most successful companies take at least two), so it really proves the effectiveness of the business support I’d had to that point. Particularly learning how to effectively pitch our business in less than 3 minutes.
The Scottish EDGE win changed everything. The investment allowed me to expand the team – I now employ 1 full-time and 2 part-time engineers, as well as a PhD student one day per week – and establish a base for developing Frontier’s technology from theoretical research developed during ORCA Hub(the offshore robotics research project that was a precursor to the National Robotarium’s autonomous underwater robotics research theme), to practical commercial applications that can be adopted by industry.
Jonatan Scharff-Willners winning the top prize of £100k at Scottish EDGE 2023
The win also led to an invite to join the Scottish Enterprise High-Growth Venture Programme, matching me with a mentor to support entrepreneurial skills development, develoeping my business models and helping me engage with investors to raise additional funding. I look forward to working with them over the next few months to accelerate the growth of the company.
Being part of the Heriot-Watt University ecosystem has reaped its rewards. In 2022, ORCA won ‘Research team of the year’ at the Heriot-Watt people celebration awards, and we were a finalist in the Times Higher Education Awards, two significant achievements that felt like the peak of success. Little did I know it was just the beginning of a much larger adventure, preceding a year when I gained more knowledge and experience than I could have imagined!
The ORCA hub wins Research Team of the Year at the 2022 Heriot-Watt University ‘Celebrating our People’ Awards
The in-house Business Development team at Heriot-Watt have also been incredibly supportive throughout the year, offering advice, invites to events and networking opportunities. The team at GRID was instrumental in my participation in the Clean Tech exhibition, part of the Climate Hub programme running at Heriot-Watt’s Dubai campus during COP28. They approached me to showcase the business at an exhibition space visited by scientists, policymakers, schools, invited guests and VIPs throughout the global conference.
I was honoured to exhibit alongside nine other companies that are developing technologies and products for a more sustainable future. These included Crover, also based at the National Robotarium, who have created a burrowing robotic drone to test the environmental conditions of grain silos, feeding back data to help farmers reduce waste caused by moisture and pest infestations; and Smartrawl, headed by Professor Paul Fernandes from the University’s Lyell Centre for Earth and Marine Sciences, which has invented an AI-empowered fishing net to identify different species of fish and prevent bycatch of those not needed by trawlers.
A prototype of the Smartrawl AI-empowered fishing net to prevent and reduce trawling bycatch
Meeting and sharing the space with these innovative businesses was one of the most beneficial aspects of the trip. We were able to share our experiences of running a startup and I got lots of valuable advice from those who have already navigated the potential and pitfalls of the Scottish funding and investment landscape. Being in an environment where we quickly connected and could share our successes and struggles bonded us immediately and it’s great to be part of a network of start-ups that can learn from each other’s mistakes and provide much-needed motivation.
The first day in Dubai was an exciting one. We had been informed that His Royal Highness, King Charles III would be visiting to officially open the campus and tour around the CleanTech exhibition and we each had an opportunity to pitch. Despite being told there was only enough time to speak for a single sentence, the King was hugely generous with his time, showing genuine interest in our companies and asking lots of questions. I loved his down-to-earth nature and, as someone who’s been championing sustainable futures for decades, it was clear he was very knowledgeable about the challenges and opportunities for green businesses in the UK.
The First Minister of Scotland, Humza Yousaf, was also in attendance on the first day. I had met him before at Scottish EDGE and enjoyed speaking with him again about energy transition in Scotland.
Jonatan and Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf
Over the week, the event brought in over 1000 visitors and it was lovely to meet so many interesting people. Our activity challenged willing participants to become an offshore operator in under 2 minutes using our shared autonomy system that guides and approves the actions in a simulated robotic inspection system.
I was particularly impressed with how quickly the school groups were not only able to grasp the importance for creating a greener future together, but also their ability to pick up the task, controlling the autonomy engine, robot, and 2-camera system (all developed at the National Robotarium) with ease. Our vision for the future is to see robots and humans seamlessly working together and it’s important that people feel empowered to use and control them effectively.
SLAM (simultaneous localisation and mapping) data
On our one day off, we were able to visit the COP28 exhibition arena and talk to some of the companies showcasing there. I was excited to see the latest inventions, learn what kinds of green tech we’re going to be using in the near-future and talk to potential investors.
What became really clear, really quickly, was that small start-ups and spinouts are leading the way for sustainable innovations, advancing new ideas and solutions to real-world problems quickly, and at scale. It’s an exciting time to be building a new business and heartening to see so many cool new companies coming through with a fresh vision, in comparison with bigger businesses who seem to be less transparent about what they’re doing to tackle climate change.
The week ended with some fruitful discussions with offshore industry representatives, and I’m excited that some have continued since I returned to Scotland.
In 2024, Frontier Robotics will be moving into our next phase of growing our industry portfolio and partnerships so it’s fantastic to have been able to connect with global companies and big industry names thanks to being part of Heriot-Watt University.
Jonatan, a Senior Robotics Engineer, and Frontier Robotics are based at the National Robotarium
https://thenationalrobotarium.com/wp-content/uploads/king1.jpg408612Louise Jackhttp://thenationalrobotarium.com/wp-content/uploads/Robotarium.pngLouise Jack2023-12-19 16:25:572023-12-19 18:26:09A view from the Heriot-Watt Dubai Climate Hub – Frontier Robotics
An innovative medtech start-up which has created a soft robotic glove to help rehabilitate stroke patients has received almost half a million pounds of new funding to accelerate its product to market.
Bioliberty has secured a £435,000 project from the Biomedical Catalyst, Innovate UK’s flagship grant funding mechanism. The scheme is designed to transform innovative ideas into commercially viable businesses.
The Edinburgh-based company’s robotic glove works by assisting a patient to open and close their hand, an action which can be severely limited following a stroke. Developed in collaboration with physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and clinicians, the glove has built-in sensors that allows it to vary levels of resistance to tailor rehabilitation exercises to the user. This new Innovate UK funding will go towards developing the machine learning and data collection elements of the product.
Bioliberty is a tenant at the National Robotarium, benefitting from the world-leading robotics centre’s incubation facilities, state-of-the-art labs, and engineering expertise.
The National Robotarium is part of the Data-Driven Innovation initiative, supported by £21 million from the UK Government and £1.4 million from the Scottish Government. The initiative aims to turn Edinburgh into the data capital of Europe and is part of the wider £1.3 billion Edinburgh and South-East Scotland City Region Deal.
Statistics from the UK’s Stroke Association state that someone has a stroke every five minutes in this country affecting 100,000 people every year. It’s estimated that 1.3 million people in the UK have had a stroke with many requiring ongoing therapy to recover from the symptoms.
New guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published in October states that stroke victims should receive up to three hours of rehabilitation a day, five days a week. However, the Stroke Association has voiced concerns over the NHS’ ability to deliver on this target.
Bioliberty, which has already raised more than £3.5 million in private and public funding and created 8 new highly skilled roles within the company over the last six months, believes the new technology can help deliver on these new guidelines.
Speaking ahead of the UK Stroke Forum in Birmingham, Conan Bradley, Co-Founder at Bioliberty, said:
“Bioliberty is on the verge of a revolutionary leap in rehabilitation technology. Our upcoming trials for our soft robotic glove are set to ignite the United States, with top rehab clinics eagerly in discussions. With this newfound funding, we’re poised to accelerate trials and expedite our market launch. But we’re not stopping at the U.S.; the UK beckons, with a significant demand for innovative rehabilitation solutions amidst the latest NICE guidelines.
“Having access to the National Robotarium’s state-of-the-art office and lab facilities, including its ecosystem of collaborators, industry experts and academic teams, has been vital in helping us to develop our product.”
Lisa Farrell is Business Development Manager at the National Robotarium. She said:
“With an ageing population, demand for robotic solutions to assist in the rehabilitation of those who’ve experienced a stroke will be in great demand. Stroke is the leading cause of disability worldwide1, so Bioliberty’s product is addressing a global need, which is one of the core missions of the National Robotarium.
“The National Robotarium’s mission is to develop robotic and AI solutions which make people safer, healthier and more productive and working with tenant companies, we want to provide a catalyst for entrepreneurship, and deliver economic and societal benefits.”
UK Government Minister for Scotland Malcolm Offord said:
“This pioneering technology has the potential to become a vital tool for health professionals to help improve stroke patients’ care during their rehabilitation process.
“The UK Government has invested £21 million in the National Robotarium helping foster world-leading research and support high quality jobs, investment and growth, as part of our more than £2.7 billion investment to level up across Scotland.”
https://thenationalrobotarium.com/wp-content/uploads/Bioliberty-Soft-Robotic-Glove-2.jpg4601000Louise Jackhttp://thenationalrobotarium.com/wp-content/uploads/Robotarium.pngLouise Jack2023-12-04 11:57:362023-12-04 11:57:36Innovate UK funding accelerates robotic stroke rehabilitation device towards launch
Offshore robotics is on the brink of transforming industries by providing innovative solutions for complex challenges. With the integration of robots into various sectors, this presents unique testing and certification demands.
This robotic Test and Certification Workshop, organised by The National Robotarium for the OLTER Project, will focus on the Offshore Robotic Testing and Certification with a strong grasp on the need for a UK based Test and certification Centre. As an expert in a relevant field, we would value your experience and views in the testing and Certification of offshore robotics. Moreover, your opinions and perspectives on the need for a Test and certification Centre will help shape the future of National Robotarium and the OLTER project and its objectives. This is a one-day programme aiming to grasp the robotics community’s needs and insights.
Alongside fellow participants, we will explore key considerations, standards, and potential gaps that can be corrected in the testing and certification of robots.
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