The SPRING (Socially Assistive Robots in Gerontological healthcare) trial achieved an important milestone, with the deployment of robots in a hospital in Paris.
The ARI robots, equipped with advanced artificial intelligence to enable natural conversations with groups of people in busy environments, were stationed at Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, where they provided general assistance and information to patients.
It is hoped that wider use of assistive robotics in healthcare could ease workload pressures and staff shortages, freeing-up staff for more quality interactions with patients.
The FEATHER (Facilitating health and wellbeing by developing systems for early recognition of urinary tract infections) project is developing AI and robotics to enable earlier identification of UTI symptoms. Led by The University of Edinburgh’s School of Informatics in collaboration with the National Robotarium, researchers are working with social care and residential homes to develop smart sensors and data systems that can alert individuals and carers of potential infection. Earlier diagnosis of UTIs, affecting 150 million people worldwide each year, can reduce requirement for emergency care, ensure the appropriate prescription of antibiotics and improve patient care.
Through an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with international medical technology company Fourier Intelligence, researchers at the National Robotarium are utilising its sophisticated therapeutic equipment to improve understanding of the use of robotics and AI for assisted living, movement and patient rehabilitation. One study is focused on the effectiveness of socially assistive robots to support physical rehabilitation and cognitive exercises, using technology donated in-kind by Fourier.
Researchers at the National Robotarium have been working with Blantyre LIFE, an innovative new health and care facility in Lanarkshire to advance development of the next generation of assistive robotics for patient rehabilitation.
An ARI assistive robot and PhD student Carl Bettosi were based at the facility for two weeks in August 2024 to gather feedback from health and social care staff on how the robot can assist people recovering after a critical injury.
A key focus of the research is to equip robots with autonomous decision-making abilities to help reduce the burden on healthcare staff.
The VITALISE (Virtual Health and Wellbeing Living Lab Infrastructure) project, funded by the Horizon Europe programme and led by Professor Lynne Baillie, head of the National Robotarium’s Human Robot Interaction (HRI) team, has developed a system where socially assistive robots communicate with patients using a headset that detects brain neural activity.
The robotic ‘coaches’ for aiding upper limb rehabilitation for stroke and brain injury survivors were successfully trialled at AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, a rehabilitation clinic in Vienna, Austria.
Researchers at the National Robotarium partnered with North East England housing provider North Star Housing to test how conversational robotics can be adopted to tackle loneliness.
PhD student Bruce Wilson, Assistant Professor of Computer Science Dr Theo Georgiou and Research Associate David Robb, installed an AI-empowered Furhat robot into North Star’s communal bistro area, where it conversed with residents and their visitor while taking orders and preparing hot drinks. To enable the robot to engage in meaningful conversations with residents, it was programmed with information about the local area, its history and local celebrities, as well as updates on activities taking place, encouraging residents to participate and socialise with each other.
Supported by the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC), the £1.4m Underwater Intervention for Offshore Renewable Energies (UNITE) project is developing electric remotely operated vehicles (eROVs) to perform maintenance and repair tasks on offshore wind turbines. Delivered with indstury partners Fugro, the world’s leading Geo-data specialists, the eROVs aim to dramatically improve health and safety for workers, reduce carbon emissions and improve efficiency.
Scientists in the Precision Laser Applications (PLA) labs are exploring the potential use of robotics to assist in manufacturing lasers. In a three-year project funded by the UKRI EPSRC, the team are working with optical components manufacturer Gooch & Housego, aerospace giants Leonardo and laser makers Luxinar, to test the use of robots to undertake time-consuming and repetitive assembly and alignment steps. If successful, it will allow humans more time to concentrate on the important testing and quality-control steps.
Smartrawl is an AI-empowered fishing net designed to prevent marine bycatch by trawlers. The brainchild of Heriot-Watt Professor and marine technology expert Paul Fernandes, the National Robotarium are helping to develop the efficacy of the device’s smart-patented gate system that will ensure that fishers catch only the fish they’re targeting, allowing other animals to be released back into their natural environment quickly and without harm.
Heriot-Watt University
Edinburgh, Scotland
UK EH14 4AS
Scottish registered charity number SC000278
The University of Edinburgh
Edinburgh, Scotland
EH8 9YL
Scottish registered charity number SC005336
