MPATIX - co-designed and validated sensor-instrumented ‘smart’ socks to improve emotional self-regulation and behaviour that challenges in adults with learning disabilities

There are approximately 1.5 million people with a learning disability in the UK (Mencap, 2020). Up to 40% of these people display behaviour that challenges (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2015). This behaviour includes aggression, self-injury, withdrawal, and disruptive or destructive behaviour. It can also include violence, arson or sexual abuse, and may bring the person into contact with the criminal justice system.

Milbotix is developing MPATIX smart socks which are worn like normal socks but use state-of-the-art technology to recognise when the wearer is in distress. Grounded in scientific research at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory (Bristol, UK), the socks contain electronic sensors that monitor the wearer's pulse, skin temperature, sweat, and movement, and an advanced machine learning algorithm that can accurately detect when the wearer is anxious, frustrated, or in pain.

Early identification of states of physical and emotional distress could assist people with learning disabilities to develop effective coping strategies and better self-regulate their emotions. It could also help carers identify and eliminate sources of distress in the environment. This 6-month project aims to demonstrate the feasibility of the MPATIX smart socks as an effective solution for improving the early detection and management of behaviour that challenges in adults with learning disabilities.