The National Robotarium and Blantyre LIFE: The future of robotics-assisted care
Researchers at the National Robotarium are working with an innovative new health and care facility in Lanarkshire to advance development of the next generation of assistive robotics.
Blantyre LIFE, a ground-breaking care development which opened last year, has already forged an international reputation for pioneering increasingly sophisticated care and expertise in the heart of a community. Several fact-finding missions have been undertaken to see how technology is being used to make day-to-day living easier and safer, including service-users having the opportunity to learn how to live independently as possible in a tech-enabled homes.
Now, in a taste of things that could come, South Lanarkshire University Health and Social Care Partnership have welcomed the arrival of the National Robotarium’s ARI, a ‘social robot’, with human-like characteristics.
Two weeks of research, supported by experts from the Human-Robot Interaction Research group at the National Robotarium, the world-leading centre for robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) at Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh campus, have been underway to gather feedback from health and social care staff on an early robot prototype that aims to assist people recovering after critical injury.
Professor Soumen Sengupta, Chief Officer of South Lanarkshire University HSCP said:
“The foundation of our partnership is made up of the human compassion of the expertise of our staff.
“The presence of ARI represents our commitment to both amplifying – not replacing – that expertise with latest technology and working with academic partners in a highly innovative space.
“It also characterises our dedication to helping shape emerging and existing opportunities that rapidly evolving technology could have for the future of health and care delivery.”
The research team is led by the Head of Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) at the National Robotarium Professor Lynne Baillie.
Professor Baillie said:
“We’re developing the ARI robot to support the self-management of rehabilitation by patients. The robot will offer verbal instruction and encouragement during exercise sessions as well as using its human-like limbs to physically demonstrate how to do exercises properly.
“We believe that this engagement can help empower patients to stick with their exercise regime and improve their overall wellbeing.”
Whilst patients aren’t yet involved in the research, Carl Bettosi, a PhD student in HRI at the Edinburgh Centre for Robotics, who is supervised by Professor Baillie, has been working closely with health and social care professionals at Blantyre LIFE to gather data which will inform future versions.
He said: “A key focus of our research is the ability of the robot to make some decisions autonomously and thus reduce the burden on healthcare staff. To do this, we will develop cutting-edge decision-making techniques driven by machine learning.
“It’s amazing to come to a place like Blantyre LIFE and see how technology is being embraced and used alongside hard-earned human expertise and compassion. We hope to work with Blantyre again in the near future.”
The National Robotarium, one of six Data Driven Innovation hubs funded in partnership with The University of Edinburgh, works directly with industry to test and develop robotic, AI and automated technologies, creating innovative solutions to global challenges. Scientists from the facility have been working in tandem with Blantyre LIFE to explore how robotics can support healthcare professionals and improve patient wellbeing.
Lisa Farrell, Business Development Manager, said:
“We’re on a mission at The National Robotarium to create new robotics technologies that can support clinicians and healthcare professionals whilst stimulating growth and innovation within the health services. However, it’s crucial that any robotics solutions are developed with the end user in mind.
“Collaborating with facilities like Blantyre LIFE allows us to work closely with experts in health and social care throughout the testing and development stage. Their lived experience helps us understand their priorities when working with patients, allowing us to build robotic systems that are safe, effective, and user-friendly.”
WATCH: Carl and ARI at Blantyre LIFE:
