Power-Up! Fuelling a new generation of assistive technologies

Lead Research Organisation: University College London
Department Name: Civil Environmental and Geomatic Eng

Abstract

The aim of Power-Up! is to adapt an existing power add-on used by people who self-propel their wheelchairs so that it provides an optimal level of proportional assistance and incorporates fuel cell technology to drastically reduce the weight of the device. This will have considerable benefits both for those who self-propel and those currently pushed by a carer as it will increase a person's ability to push themselves, reducing the burden on carers and increasing the independence of wheelchairs users. The research idea has derived both from end-user demand and also technological advances in three areas: 1) The development of a light-weight force-sensing handrim for manual wheelchair users (the SenseWheel); 2) a model of proportional power assistance; 3) hybrid power source development incorporating a new low-cost, high-performance fuel cell technology. A key part of the project will be in determining requirements of the system from a technology (using a drive cycle method) and user-needs perspectives.

The average wheelchair user is an overweight/obese 57 years old with a long-term health condition and dependent in some way on a carer [5]. There are seven million carers in the UK. Of those, 1.2 million carers have suffered a physical injury due to caring and over half have had to stop giving care due to mental and/or physical health complaints. Over 50% of carers are the spouse/partner of the person being cared for and 65% are themselves overweight or obese. It is clear that carers are struggling physically to care for wheelchair users [5]. At the other end of the spectrum are the 240,000 active wheelchair users who are busy getting on with their daily activities [2]; going to work, collecting their children from school, etc. With each push they further wear their shoulder and eventually, nearly all will have upper limb injuries, some so severe they will be unable to independently push themselves. Injuries are thought to arise in part to the cyclical nature of the wheelchair push cycle [6], [7] and are exasperated by the low gross mechanical efficiency of wheelchair pushing - only 10% of effort goes directly into making a person move forwards [8]and this is when pushing along flat, smooth surfaces such as hospital lino. On more challenging surfaces such as slopes, cross-slopes and rough or loose surfaces (e.g. gravel) the push forces will be much higher .To give an indication of scale of the problem: the incidence of shoulder pain is reported to range from 42% [9] to 66% [10], with the most commonly reported injury damage to the rotator cuff muscles [11].

The overall workflow is given in Figure 1. The initial work package will use the tools developed in current ARCCS project (EP/L023849/11 Dr. Holloway is Co-I) and further improve these to automatically produce probes to help understand user needs. The results from WP1 will help inform the specific tasks to be conducted at the PAMELA facility as well as the outdoor route. The recently invented SenseWheel will be used to measure the biomechanics of pushing during WP3. These will inform the shoulder forces which are occurring as people push their wheelchair with a power-assist device.In tandem we will collect the power consumption of the commercially available SmartDrive wheel, using a bespoke set of sensors. WP3 will be used to construct drive cycles of everyday journeys, which have been undertaken in WP1. Furthermore, the process of using micro-trips will be validated by comparing the actual power consumption during an outside route and the one predicted by the PAMELA micro-trips. The results of WP2 will be used to inform the specification of the new hybrid fuel cell system (WP3) and the proportional control system (WP4). The final design will be trialled at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The project is supported by the London Legacy Development Corporation as well as being closely linked to a PhD studentship,which is already awarded and will overlap with this grant.

Planned Impact

Society and the environment: There is an increasing cost to society of a lack of individual mobility, especially one which helps maintain a person's capabilities. Fuel cells are the most energy efficient means of converting chemical energy to electricity, furthermore they are much lighter than traditional batteries. Power-up! will utilise these features combined with a new proportional assist control module to ensure people remain healthy while being able to get out and about and interact with the world.

Economy and the commercial sector: This Power-Up! technology will create jobs as it is envisaged it will be spun out of UCL in a similar manner to the SenseWheel. The resulting SME will grow alongside those currently being developed as part of the ARRT-BC (EP/M025543/1) project giving a critical mass of SME's focussed on the development of novel assitive technologies and rehabilitation therapies. Further, it will have demonstrated a niche market for fuel cell technology which could be expanded to all other types of personal mobility.

People:Positive impact for the people involved in the project will be derived from the expertise developed by the research
team, training and transferrable skills acquired. The people who we will work with at the QEOP will benefit from interaction with academics and the university environment through alternative approaches and highly creative ideas. General career progression will ensue for all those involved in the project as a result of the learning, outputs and advances made.

Knowledge and science base:This project will develop an open access data base of power requirements for wheelchair users as well as developing best practice standards for implementing new power sources to ensure a healthy balance between fitness and power requirements. Results will be published in wider range of journals to ensure those in occupation therapy

Future Possibilities: The project is supported by the LLDC, and this is of strategic importance as it forms part of a wider body of work to embed activities supporting the Paralympic legacy into activities on the QEOP. Both the PI and CO-I on this grant have submitted bids to create a centre of excellence for assistive technology design and an Advanced Propulsion Laboratory respectively. This project

Publications

10 25 50

publication icon
Bethapudi V (2019) A lung-inspired printed circuit board polymer electrolyte fuel cell in Energy Conversion and Management

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Holloway C (2019) Disability interaction (DIX) a manifesto in Interactions

 
Description We have established a set of requirements for the ultimate power add-on for wheelchair users. In addition we have established power cycles for electric wheelchairs. These mean we can predict exactly how much power is needed in certain conditions and then build the power system needed for this. TThese are now published as open access materials.
Exploitation Route The papers and data are open access/source so that manufacturers can make use of our findings. Interestingly it is also a good way to show how difficult environments can be for those on wheels and is therefore also of use to those who design the environment and transport systems.

Our outpus are being used by the community, e.g.
"But, I Don't Want/Need a Power Wheelchair": Toward Accessible Power Assistance for Manual Wheelchairs has been downloaded 247 times
Sectors Education

Environment

Healthcare

Manufacturing

including Industrial Biotechology

Transport

URL https://www.disabilityinnovation.com/research/power-up-fuelling-the-next-generation-of-assistive-technologies
 
Description The project at one level was to identify if fuel cell technology could be used to power electric wheelchairs. We proved it could be. However in the course of developing the idea we developed further research collaborations with partners on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. These went beyond the specific focus of the project, and looked more at what could be done to better improve innovation in disability-related products and services. The project therefore helped to solidify the institutional relationships which led to the formation of the Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub). GDI Hub now has a research portfolio of over £25m and works in over 20 countries (as of 2022) . We also deliver an MSc programme on disability, design and innovation across UCL, Loughborough University and the London College of Fashion. Electric wheelchair power innovation is hard to translate into industry given the lack of investment into the sector. However, the data sets developed in the project and the wider findings have been published: One paper is now cited 14 times having been published in the leading assistive technology conference in human computer interaction, and a more technical paper on power cited 5 times. Our drive cycle data is openly available for people to use.
First Year Of Impact 2016
Sector Education,Healthcare,Government, Democracy and Justice
Impact Types Cultural

Societal

 
Description AT2030
Amount £20,000,000 (GBP)
Funding ID GB-1-201879-108 
Organisation UK Department for International Development 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 07/2018 
End 12/2021
 
Description Funding to purchase three different types of power assist devices
Amount £10,614 (GBP)
Organisation The London Legacy Development Corporation 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 11/2016 
End 11/2016
 
Description Global Disability Innovation Start-up Funds
Amount £600,000 (GBP)
Organisation The London Legacy Development Corporation 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2017 
End 03/2018
 
Title Electric wheelchair power and drive cycle 2016-2017 
Description Improvements in electric wheelchair designs have left aside the power source. Electric wheelchair designs continue to use deep-cycle lead acid batteries which are heavy and large. The implementation of new lighter and smaller power sources for portable assistive technology, such as electric wheelchairs, requires the estimation of power demand under different driving conditions. These estimations are not available for electric wheelchairs. The estimation of power demand in the form of power cycles from driving cycles is a common methodology in the automotive industry and critical for sizing the power sources used in propulsion systems. The purpose of this data collection was to to determine electric wheelchair power and driving cycles in simulated standard outdoor conditions adapting a methodology derived from the microtrip approach, which is widely used in the automotive industry. The microtrip method allowed the testing of driving conditions to be examined separately and then combined to form a "typical" wheelchair journey which is presented here as a suggested representative electric wheelchair drive cycle. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2019 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact There have been 4 data downloads and 13 page views since this item was published This is the first data set of its kind for wheelchairs. 
URL http://reshare.ukdataservice.ac.uk/853486/
 
Description AT2030 
Organisation Amref Health Africa
Country Kenya 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution The Global Disability Innvoation Hub is leading a £20m UK Department for Internatinal Development, called AT2030. My team developed the partnership and the intelectual thinking for the grant in partnersrship with our spin-out arm - GDI Hub Ccommunity interest company led by Voctoria Austin. We are currnelty responsible for developing the research which will inform the World Report on Assitive Technology for the World Health Organization for: 1) across need and demand estimation and 2) innovation processes and systems for assitive technology. In adddition we are developing new knowlede in mobile usage and interactions wuith disabled people in low resource settings. We are also working on a number of novel clicnial trial designs in low resource settigns of new mobilty devoices and developing novel technolgiesat UCL such as a low cost tactile printer for blind and partially sighted people and a new liner for lower-limb prosthtic users in low resource settings. Finally we are contributing intelectual leadership for the development of an innovation ecosystema dn £4m impact fund of rassitive technology.
Collaborator Contribution The work is divided into 4 clusters. these along with aprtner contributions are detailed below. Our partners include: - GDI Hub CIC - overall grant project management; thought leadership on social development, inclusive deisgn of the built envoronment and straegic partnership development, developement of scale fund with Brink and GDI Hub at UCL - World Health Organization developing 27 product standards, a new remote training tool for clincians and the first Workld Report on AT; - UNICEF - World report on AT support; Country capcity cdevelopmetn Support - Clinton Health Access Initiative - Developing market landscape documents for 5 key priority areas - London School of Hygene and Tropical Medicine - population needs assessments and development (with UCL ) of a new digital tool for needs assessment - Motivation wheelchiars - new wheelchiar innovatoin - Amparo - new socket technology for lower limb prosthetics - AMREF - running accelerator programme in Nairobi for 40 start-ups - BRINk - development of new sclae fund - Maynooth University - development of systems research to support AT delivery - University of Salford - collabroation on digital transformation research - Unvieristy of Southampton - collabroation on digital transformation research - GSMA - disability mobile gap report
Impact This is a multi-disciiplinary programme of work. We have so far: This is a multi-disciiplinary programme of work. We have so far: - supported 3 new innovations to trial - Matched the funding with £4m - Published 2 academic peer reviewed journal articles - Developed action plans with 10 African countries for AT policy - Presented 5 pieces of evidence at the WHO Global consultation on assistive technology - Published the first report on the disability mobile gap with GSMA - Completed and published 2 product narratives on the market analsysi of wheelchirs and hearing aids
Start Year 2018
 
Description AT2030 
Organisation Clinton Health Access Initiative
Country United States 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution The Global Disability Innvoation Hub is leading a £20m UK Department for Internatinal Development, called AT2030. My team developed the partnership and the intelectual thinking for the grant in partnersrship with our spin-out arm - GDI Hub Ccommunity interest company led by Voctoria Austin. We are currnelty responsible for developing the research which will inform the World Report on Assitive Technology for the World Health Organization for: 1) across need and demand estimation and 2) innovation processes and systems for assitive technology. In adddition we are developing new knowlede in mobile usage and interactions wuith disabled people in low resource settings. We are also working on a number of novel clicnial trial designs in low resource settigns of new mobilty devoices and developing novel technolgiesat UCL such as a low cost tactile printer for blind and partially sighted people and a new liner for lower-limb prosthtic users in low resource settings. Finally we are contributing intelectual leadership for the development of an innovation ecosystema dn £4m impact fund of rassitive technology.
Collaborator Contribution The work is divided into 4 clusters. these along with aprtner contributions are detailed below. Our partners include: - GDI Hub CIC - overall grant project management; thought leadership on social development, inclusive deisgn of the built envoronment and straegic partnership development, developement of scale fund with Brink and GDI Hub at UCL - World Health Organization developing 27 product standards, a new remote training tool for clincians and the first Workld Report on AT; - UNICEF - World report on AT support; Country capcity cdevelopmetn Support - Clinton Health Access Initiative - Developing market landscape documents for 5 key priority areas - London School of Hygene and Tropical Medicine - population needs assessments and development (with UCL ) of a new digital tool for needs assessment - Motivation wheelchiars - new wheelchiar innovatoin - Amparo - new socket technology for lower limb prosthetics - AMREF - running accelerator programme in Nairobi for 40 start-ups - BRINk - development of new sclae fund - Maynooth University - development of systems research to support AT delivery - University of Salford - collabroation on digital transformation research - Unvieristy of Southampton - collabroation on digital transformation research - GSMA - disability mobile gap report
Impact This is a multi-disciiplinary programme of work. We have so far: This is a multi-disciiplinary programme of work. We have so far: - supported 3 new innovations to trial - Matched the funding with £4m - Published 2 academic peer reviewed journal articles - Developed action plans with 10 African countries for AT policy - Presented 5 pieces of evidence at the WHO Global consultation on assistive technology - Published the first report on the disability mobile gap with GSMA - Completed and published 2 product narratives on the market analsysi of wheelchirs and hearing aids
Start Year 2018
 
Description AT2030 
Organisation GSMA
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution The Global Disability Innvoation Hub is leading a £20m UK Department for Internatinal Development, called AT2030. My team developed the partnership and the intelectual thinking for the grant in partnersrship with our spin-out arm - GDI Hub Ccommunity interest company led by Voctoria Austin. We are currnelty responsible for developing the research which will inform the World Report on Assitive Technology for the World Health Organization for: 1) across need and demand estimation and 2) innovation processes and systems for assitive technology. In adddition we are developing new knowlede in mobile usage and interactions wuith disabled people in low resource settings. We are also working on a number of novel clicnial trial designs in low resource settigns of new mobilty devoices and developing novel technolgiesat UCL such as a low cost tactile printer for blind and partially sighted people and a new liner for lower-limb prosthtic users in low resource settings. Finally we are contributing intelectual leadership for the development of an innovation ecosystema dn £4m impact fund of rassitive technology.
Collaborator Contribution The work is divided into 4 clusters. these along with aprtner contributions are detailed below. Our partners include: - GDI Hub CIC - overall grant project management; thought leadership on social development, inclusive deisgn of the built envoronment and straegic partnership development, developement of scale fund with Brink and GDI Hub at UCL - World Health Organization developing 27 product standards, a new remote training tool for clincians and the first Workld Report on AT; - UNICEF - World report on AT support; Country capcity cdevelopmetn Support - Clinton Health Access Initiative - Developing market landscape documents for 5 key priority areas - London School of Hygene and Tropical Medicine - population needs assessments and development (with UCL ) of a new digital tool for needs assessment - Motivation wheelchiars - new wheelchiar innovatoin - Amparo - new socket technology for lower limb prosthetics - AMREF - running accelerator programme in Nairobi for 40 start-ups - BRINk - development of new sclae fund - Maynooth University - development of systems research to support AT delivery - University of Salford - collabroation on digital transformation research - Unvieristy of Southampton - collabroation on digital transformation research - GSMA - disability mobile gap report
Impact This is a multi-disciiplinary programme of work. We have so far: This is a multi-disciiplinary programme of work. We have so far: - supported 3 new innovations to trial - Matched the funding with £4m - Published 2 academic peer reviewed journal articles - Developed action plans with 10 African countries for AT policy - Presented 5 pieces of evidence at the WHO Global consultation on assistive technology - Published the first report on the disability mobile gap with GSMA - Completed and published 2 product narratives on the market analsysi of wheelchirs and hearing aids
Start Year 2018
 
Description AT2030 
Organisation London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM)
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution The Global Disability Innvoation Hub is leading a £20m UK Department for Internatinal Development, called AT2030. My team developed the partnership and the intelectual thinking for the grant in partnersrship with our spin-out arm - GDI Hub Ccommunity interest company led by Voctoria Austin. We are currnelty responsible for developing the research which will inform the World Report on Assitive Technology for the World Health Organization for: 1) across need and demand estimation and 2) innovation processes and systems for assitive technology. In adddition we are developing new knowlede in mobile usage and interactions wuith disabled people in low resource settings. We are also working on a number of novel clicnial trial designs in low resource settigns of new mobilty devoices and developing novel technolgiesat UCL such as a low cost tactile printer for blind and partially sighted people and a new liner for lower-limb prosthtic users in low resource settings. Finally we are contributing intelectual leadership for the development of an innovation ecosystema dn £4m impact fund of rassitive technology.
Collaborator Contribution The work is divided into 4 clusters. these along with aprtner contributions are detailed below. Our partners include: - GDI Hub CIC - overall grant project management; thought leadership on social development, inclusive deisgn of the built envoronment and straegic partnership development, developement of scale fund with Brink and GDI Hub at UCL - World Health Organization developing 27 product standards, a new remote training tool for clincians and the first Workld Report on AT; - UNICEF - World report on AT support; Country capcity cdevelopmetn Support - Clinton Health Access Initiative - Developing market landscape documents for 5 key priority areas - London School of Hygene and Tropical Medicine - population needs assessments and development (with UCL ) of a new digital tool for needs assessment - Motivation wheelchiars - new wheelchiar innovatoin - Amparo - new socket technology for lower limb prosthetics - AMREF - running accelerator programme in Nairobi for 40 start-ups - BRINk - development of new sclae fund - Maynooth University - development of systems research to support AT delivery - University of Salford - collabroation on digital transformation research - Unvieristy of Southampton - collabroation on digital transformation research - GSMA - disability mobile gap report
Impact This is a multi-disciiplinary programme of work. We have so far: This is a multi-disciiplinary programme of work. We have so far: - supported 3 new innovations to trial - Matched the funding with £4m - Published 2 academic peer reviewed journal articles - Developed action plans with 10 African countries for AT policy - Presented 5 pieces of evidence at the WHO Global consultation on assistive technology - Published the first report on the disability mobile gap with GSMA - Completed and published 2 product narratives on the market analsysi of wheelchirs and hearing aids
Start Year 2018
 
Description AT2030 
Organisation Maynooth University
Country Ireland 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution The Global Disability Innvoation Hub is leading a £20m UK Department for Internatinal Development, called AT2030. My team developed the partnership and the intelectual thinking for the grant in partnersrship with our spin-out arm - GDI Hub Ccommunity interest company led by Voctoria Austin. We are currnelty responsible for developing the research which will inform the World Report on Assitive Technology for the World Health Organization for: 1) across need and demand estimation and 2) innovation processes and systems for assitive technology. In adddition we are developing new knowlede in mobile usage and interactions wuith disabled people in low resource settings. We are also working on a number of novel clicnial trial designs in low resource settigns of new mobilty devoices and developing novel technolgiesat UCL such as a low cost tactile printer for blind and partially sighted people and a new liner for lower-limb prosthtic users in low resource settings. Finally we are contributing intelectual leadership for the development of an innovation ecosystema dn £4m impact fund of rassitive technology.
Collaborator Contribution The work is divided into 4 clusters. these along with aprtner contributions are detailed below. Our partners include: - GDI Hub CIC - overall grant project management; thought leadership on social development, inclusive deisgn of the built envoronment and straegic partnership development, developement of scale fund with Brink and GDI Hub at UCL - World Health Organization developing 27 product standards, a new remote training tool for clincians and the first Workld Report on AT; - UNICEF - World report on AT support; Country capcity cdevelopmetn Support - Clinton Health Access Initiative - Developing market landscape documents for 5 key priority areas - London School of Hygene and Tropical Medicine - population needs assessments and development (with UCL ) of a new digital tool for needs assessment - Motivation wheelchiars - new wheelchiar innovatoin - Amparo - new socket technology for lower limb prosthetics - AMREF - running accelerator programme in Nairobi for 40 start-ups - BRINk - development of new sclae fund - Maynooth University - development of systems research to support AT delivery - University of Salford - collabroation on digital transformation research - Unvieristy of Southampton - collabroation on digital transformation research - GSMA - disability mobile gap report
Impact This is a multi-disciiplinary programme of work. We have so far: This is a multi-disciiplinary programme of work. We have so far: - supported 3 new innovations to trial - Matched the funding with £4m - Published 2 academic peer reviewed journal articles - Developed action plans with 10 African countries for AT policy - Presented 5 pieces of evidence at the WHO Global consultation on assistive technology - Published the first report on the disability mobile gap with GSMA - Completed and published 2 product narratives on the market analsysi of wheelchirs and hearing aids
Start Year 2018
 
Description AT2030 
Organisation Microsoft Corporation
Country United States 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution The Global Disability Innvoation Hub is leading a £20m UK Department for Internatinal Development, called AT2030. My team developed the partnership and the intelectual thinking for the grant in partnersrship with our spin-out arm - GDI Hub Ccommunity interest company led by Voctoria Austin. We are currnelty responsible for developing the research which will inform the World Report on Assitive Technology for the World Health Organization for: 1) across need and demand estimation and 2) innovation processes and systems for assitive technology. In adddition we are developing new knowlede in mobile usage and interactions wuith disabled people in low resource settings. We are also working on a number of novel clicnial trial designs in low resource settigns of new mobilty devoices and developing novel technolgiesat UCL such as a low cost tactile printer for blind and partially sighted people and a new liner for lower-limb prosthtic users in low resource settings. Finally we are contributing intelectual leadership for the development of an innovation ecosystema dn £4m impact fund of rassitive technology.
Collaborator Contribution The work is divided into 4 clusters. these along with aprtner contributions are detailed below. Our partners include: - GDI Hub CIC - overall grant project management; thought leadership on social development, inclusive deisgn of the built envoronment and straegic partnership development, developement of scale fund with Brink and GDI Hub at UCL - World Health Organization developing 27 product standards, a new remote training tool for clincians and the first Workld Report on AT; - UNICEF - World report on AT support; Country capcity cdevelopmetn Support - Clinton Health Access Initiative - Developing market landscape documents for 5 key priority areas - London School of Hygene and Tropical Medicine - population needs assessments and development (with UCL ) of a new digital tool for needs assessment - Motivation wheelchiars - new wheelchiar innovatoin - Amparo - new socket technology for lower limb prosthetics - AMREF - running accelerator programme in Nairobi for 40 start-ups - BRINk - development of new sclae fund - Maynooth University - development of systems research to support AT delivery - University of Salford - collabroation on digital transformation research - Unvieristy of Southampton - collabroation on digital transformation research - GSMA - disability mobile gap report
Impact This is a multi-disciiplinary programme of work. We have so far: This is a multi-disciiplinary programme of work. We have so far: - supported 3 new innovations to trial - Matched the funding with £4m - Published 2 academic peer reviewed journal articles - Developed action plans with 10 African countries for AT policy - Presented 5 pieces of evidence at the WHO Global consultation on assistive technology - Published the first report on the disability mobile gap with GSMA - Completed and published 2 product narratives on the market analsysi of wheelchirs and hearing aids
Start Year 2018
 
Description AT2030 
Organisation UNICEF
Country United States 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution The Global Disability Innvoation Hub is leading a £20m UK Department for Internatinal Development, called AT2030. My team developed the partnership and the intelectual thinking for the grant in partnersrship with our spin-out arm - GDI Hub Ccommunity interest company led by Voctoria Austin. We are currnelty responsible for developing the research which will inform the World Report on Assitive Technology for the World Health Organization for: 1) across need and demand estimation and 2) innovation processes and systems for assitive technology. In adddition we are developing new knowlede in mobile usage and interactions wuith disabled people in low resource settings. We are also working on a number of novel clicnial trial designs in low resource settigns of new mobilty devoices and developing novel technolgiesat UCL such as a low cost tactile printer for blind and partially sighted people and a new liner for lower-limb prosthtic users in low resource settings. Finally we are contributing intelectual leadership for the development of an innovation ecosystema dn £4m impact fund of rassitive technology.
Collaborator Contribution The work is divided into 4 clusters. these along with aprtner contributions are detailed below. Our partners include: - GDI Hub CIC - overall grant project management; thought leadership on social development, inclusive deisgn of the built envoronment and straegic partnership development, developement of scale fund with Brink and GDI Hub at UCL - World Health Organization developing 27 product standards, a new remote training tool for clincians and the first Workld Report on AT; - UNICEF - World report on AT support; Country capcity cdevelopmetn Support - Clinton Health Access Initiative - Developing market landscape documents for 5 key priority areas - London School of Hygene and Tropical Medicine - population needs assessments and development (with UCL ) of a new digital tool for needs assessment - Motivation wheelchiars - new wheelchiar innovatoin - Amparo - new socket technology for lower limb prosthetics - AMREF - running accelerator programme in Nairobi for 40 start-ups - BRINk - development of new sclae fund - Maynooth University - development of systems research to support AT delivery - University of Salford - collabroation on digital transformation research - Unvieristy of Southampton - collabroation on digital transformation research - GSMA - disability mobile gap report
Impact This is a multi-disciiplinary programme of work. We have so far: This is a multi-disciiplinary programme of work. We have so far: - supported 3 new innovations to trial - Matched the funding with £4m - Published 2 academic peer reviewed journal articles - Developed action plans with 10 African countries for AT policy - Presented 5 pieces of evidence at the WHO Global consultation on assistive technology - Published the first report on the disability mobile gap with GSMA - Completed and published 2 product narratives on the market analsysi of wheelchirs and hearing aids
Start Year 2018
 
Description AT2030 
Organisation University of Nairobi
Country Kenya 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution The Global Disability Innvoation Hub is leading a £20m UK Department for Internatinal Development, called AT2030. My team developed the partnership and the intelectual thinking for the grant in partnersrship with our spin-out arm - GDI Hub Ccommunity interest company led by Voctoria Austin. We are currnelty responsible for developing the research which will inform the World Report on Assitive Technology for the World Health Organization for: 1) across need and demand estimation and 2) innovation processes and systems for assitive technology. In adddition we are developing new knowlede in mobile usage and interactions wuith disabled people in low resource settings. We are also working on a number of novel clicnial trial designs in low resource settigns of new mobilty devoices and developing novel technolgiesat UCL such as a low cost tactile printer for blind and partially sighted people and a new liner for lower-limb prosthtic users in low resource settings. Finally we are contributing intelectual leadership for the development of an innovation ecosystema dn £4m impact fund of rassitive technology.
Collaborator Contribution The work is divided into 4 clusters. these along with aprtner contributions are detailed below. Our partners include: - GDI Hub CIC - overall grant project management; thought leadership on social development, inclusive deisgn of the built envoronment and straegic partnership development, developement of scale fund with Brink and GDI Hub at UCL - World Health Organization developing 27 product standards, a new remote training tool for clincians and the first Workld Report on AT; - UNICEF - World report on AT support; Country capcity cdevelopmetn Support - Clinton Health Access Initiative - Developing market landscape documents for 5 key priority areas - London School of Hygene and Tropical Medicine - population needs assessments and development (with UCL ) of a new digital tool for needs assessment - Motivation wheelchiars - new wheelchiar innovatoin - Amparo - new socket technology for lower limb prosthetics - AMREF - running accelerator programme in Nairobi for 40 start-ups - BRINk - development of new sclae fund - Maynooth University - development of systems research to support AT delivery - University of Salford - collabroation on digital transformation research - Unvieristy of Southampton - collabroation on digital transformation research - GSMA - disability mobile gap report
Impact This is a multi-disciiplinary programme of work. We have so far: This is a multi-disciiplinary programme of work. We have so far: - supported 3 new innovations to trial - Matched the funding with £4m - Published 2 academic peer reviewed journal articles - Developed action plans with 10 African countries for AT policy - Presented 5 pieces of evidence at the WHO Global consultation on assistive technology - Published the first report on the disability mobile gap with GSMA - Completed and published 2 product narratives on the market analsysi of wheelchirs and hearing aids
Start Year 2018
 
Description AT2030 
Organisation University of Salford
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution The Global Disability Innvoation Hub is leading a £20m UK Department for Internatinal Development, called AT2030. My team developed the partnership and the intelectual thinking for the grant in partnersrship with our spin-out arm - GDI Hub Ccommunity interest company led by Voctoria Austin. We are currnelty responsible for developing the research which will inform the World Report on Assitive Technology for the World Health Organization for: 1) across need and demand estimation and 2) innovation processes and systems for assitive technology. In adddition we are developing new knowlede in mobile usage and interactions wuith disabled people in low resource settings. We are also working on a number of novel clicnial trial designs in low resource settigns of new mobilty devoices and developing novel technolgiesat UCL such as a low cost tactile printer for blind and partially sighted people and a new liner for lower-limb prosthtic users in low resource settings. Finally we are contributing intelectual leadership for the development of an innovation ecosystema dn £4m impact fund of rassitive technology.
Collaborator Contribution The work is divided into 4 clusters. these along with aprtner contributions are detailed below. Our partners include: - GDI Hub CIC - overall grant project management; thought leadership on social development, inclusive deisgn of the built envoronment and straegic partnership development, developement of scale fund with Brink and GDI Hub at UCL - World Health Organization developing 27 product standards, a new remote training tool for clincians and the first Workld Report on AT; - UNICEF - World report on AT support; Country capcity cdevelopmetn Support - Clinton Health Access Initiative - Developing market landscape documents for 5 key priority areas - London School of Hygene and Tropical Medicine - population needs assessments and development (with UCL ) of a new digital tool for needs assessment - Motivation wheelchiars - new wheelchiar innovatoin - Amparo - new socket technology for lower limb prosthetics - AMREF - running accelerator programme in Nairobi for 40 start-ups - BRINk - development of new sclae fund - Maynooth University - development of systems research to support AT delivery - University of Salford - collabroation on digital transformation research - Unvieristy of Southampton - collabroation on digital transformation research - GSMA - disability mobile gap report
Impact This is a multi-disciiplinary programme of work. We have so far: This is a multi-disciiplinary programme of work. We have so far: - supported 3 new innovations to trial - Matched the funding with £4m - Published 2 academic peer reviewed journal articles - Developed action plans with 10 African countries for AT policy - Presented 5 pieces of evidence at the WHO Global consultation on assistive technology - Published the first report on the disability mobile gap with GSMA - Completed and published 2 product narratives on the market analsysi of wheelchirs and hearing aids
Start Year 2018
 
Description AT2030 
Organisation University of Salford
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution The Global Disability Innvoation Hub is leading a £20m UK Department for Internatinal Development, called AT2030. My team developed the partnership and the intelectual thinking for the grant in partnersrship with our spin-out arm - GDI Hub Ccommunity interest company led by Voctoria Austin. We are currnelty responsible for developing the research which will inform the World Report on Assitive Technology for the World Health Organization for: 1) across need and demand estimation and 2) innovation processes and systems for assitive technology. In adddition we are developing new knowlede in mobile usage and interactions wuith disabled people in low resource settings. We are also working on a number of novel clicnial trial designs in low resource settigns of new mobilty devoices and developing novel technolgiesat UCL such as a low cost tactile printer for blind and partially sighted people and a new liner for lower-limb prosthtic users in low resource settings. Finally we are contributing intelectual leadership for the development of an innovation ecosystema dn £4m impact fund of rassitive technology.
Collaborator Contribution The work is divided into 4 clusters. these along with aprtner contributions are detailed below. Our partners include: - GDI Hub CIC - overall grant project management; thought leadership on social development, inclusive deisgn of the built envoronment and straegic partnership development, developement of scale fund with Brink and GDI Hub at UCL - World Health Organization developing 27 product standards, a new remote training tool for clincians and the first Workld Report on AT; - UNICEF - World report on AT support; Country capcity cdevelopmetn Support - Clinton Health Access Initiative - Developing market landscape documents for 5 key priority areas - London School of Hygene and Tropical Medicine - population needs assessments and development (with UCL ) of a new digital tool for needs assessment - Motivation wheelchiars - new wheelchiar innovatoin - Amparo - new socket technology for lower limb prosthetics - AMREF - running accelerator programme in Nairobi for 40 start-ups - BRINk - development of new sclae fund - Maynooth University - development of systems research to support AT delivery - University of Salford - collabroation on digital transformation research - Unvieristy of Southampton - collabroation on digital transformation research - GSMA - disability mobile gap report
Impact This is a multi-disciiplinary programme of work. We have so far: This is a multi-disciiplinary programme of work. We have so far: - supported 3 new innovations to trial - Matched the funding with £4m - Published 2 academic peer reviewed journal articles - Developed action plans with 10 African countries for AT policy - Presented 5 pieces of evidence at the WHO Global consultation on assistive technology - Published the first report on the disability mobile gap with GSMA - Completed and published 2 product narratives on the market analsysi of wheelchirs and hearing aids
Start Year 2018
 
Description AT2030 
Organisation University of Southampton
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution The Global Disability Innvoation Hub is leading a £20m UK Department for Internatinal Development, called AT2030. My team developed the partnership and the intelectual thinking for the grant in partnersrship with our spin-out arm - GDI Hub Ccommunity interest company led by Voctoria Austin. We are currnelty responsible for developing the research which will inform the World Report on Assitive Technology for the World Health Organization for: 1) across need and demand estimation and 2) innovation processes and systems for assitive technology. In adddition we are developing new knowlede in mobile usage and interactions wuith disabled people in low resource settings. We are also working on a number of novel clicnial trial designs in low resource settigns of new mobilty devoices and developing novel technolgiesat UCL such as a low cost tactile printer for blind and partially sighted people and a new liner for lower-limb prosthtic users in low resource settings. Finally we are contributing intelectual leadership for the development of an innovation ecosystema dn £4m impact fund of rassitive technology.
Collaborator Contribution The work is divided into 4 clusters. these along with aprtner contributions are detailed below. Our partners include: - GDI Hub CIC - overall grant project management; thought leadership on social development, inclusive deisgn of the built envoronment and straegic partnership development, developement of scale fund with Brink and GDI Hub at UCL - World Health Organization developing 27 product standards, a new remote training tool for clincians and the first Workld Report on AT; - UNICEF - World report on AT support; Country capcity cdevelopmetn Support - Clinton Health Access Initiative - Developing market landscape documents for 5 key priority areas - London School of Hygene and Tropical Medicine - population needs assessments and development (with UCL ) of a new digital tool for needs assessment - Motivation wheelchiars - new wheelchiar innovatoin - Amparo - new socket technology for lower limb prosthetics - AMREF - running accelerator programme in Nairobi for 40 start-ups - BRINk - development of new sclae fund - Maynooth University - development of systems research to support AT delivery - University of Salford - collabroation on digital transformation research - Unvieristy of Southampton - collabroation on digital transformation research - GSMA - disability mobile gap report
Impact This is a multi-disciiplinary programme of work. We have so far: This is a multi-disciiplinary programme of work. We have so far: - supported 3 new innovations to trial - Matched the funding with £4m - Published 2 academic peer reviewed journal articles - Developed action plans with 10 African countries for AT policy - Presented 5 pieces of evidence at the WHO Global consultation on assistive technology - Published the first report on the disability mobile gap with GSMA - Completed and published 2 product narratives on the market analsysi of wheelchirs and hearing aids
Start Year 2018
 
Description AT2030 
Organisation World Health Organization (WHO)
Country Global 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution The Global Disability Innvoation Hub is leading a £20m UK Department for Internatinal Development, called AT2030. My team developed the partnership and the intelectual thinking for the grant in partnersrship with our spin-out arm - GDI Hub Ccommunity interest company led by Voctoria Austin. We are currnelty responsible for developing the research which will inform the World Report on Assitive Technology for the World Health Organization for: 1) across need and demand estimation and 2) innovation processes and systems for assitive technology. In adddition we are developing new knowlede in mobile usage and interactions wuith disabled people in low resource settings. We are also working on a number of novel clicnial trial designs in low resource settigns of new mobilty devoices and developing novel technolgiesat UCL such as a low cost tactile printer for blind and partially sighted people and a new liner for lower-limb prosthtic users in low resource settings. Finally we are contributing intelectual leadership for the development of an innovation ecosystema dn £4m impact fund of rassitive technology.
Collaborator Contribution The work is divided into 4 clusters. these along with aprtner contributions are detailed below. Our partners include: - GDI Hub CIC - overall grant project management; thought leadership on social development, inclusive deisgn of the built envoronment and straegic partnership development, developement of scale fund with Brink and GDI Hub at UCL - World Health Organization developing 27 product standards, a new remote training tool for clincians and the first Workld Report on AT; - UNICEF - World report on AT support; Country capcity cdevelopmetn Support - Clinton Health Access Initiative - Developing market landscape documents for 5 key priority areas - London School of Hygene and Tropical Medicine - population needs assessments and development (with UCL ) of a new digital tool for needs assessment - Motivation wheelchiars - new wheelchiar innovatoin - Amparo - new socket technology for lower limb prosthetics - AMREF - running accelerator programme in Nairobi for 40 start-ups - BRINk - development of new sclae fund - Maynooth University - development of systems research to support AT delivery - University of Salford - collabroation on digital transformation research - Unvieristy of Southampton - collabroation on digital transformation research - GSMA - disability mobile gap report
Impact This is a multi-disciiplinary programme of work. We have so far: This is a multi-disciiplinary programme of work. We have so far: - supported 3 new innovations to trial - Matched the funding with £4m - Published 2 academic peer reviewed journal articles - Developed action plans with 10 African countries for AT policy - Presented 5 pieces of evidence at the WHO Global consultation on assistive technology - Published the first report on the disability mobile gap with GSMA - Completed and published 2 product narratives on the market analsysi of wheelchirs and hearing aids
Start Year 2018
 
Description Japanese research studentship award in Tohoku University 
Organisation Tohoku University
Department Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering
Country Japan 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Activity monitoring of wheelchair users with inertial measurement units(IMU) has a great potential to know how much physical energy in self-propulsion is used. I have discussed how to analyse IMU data with Professor Takashi Watanabe for this project and I helped documentation for his Msc student to apply for overseas research studentship in Tohoku University.
Collaborator Contribution Analysis of IMU data is very important to assess wheelchair activities. Professor Takashi Watanabe is developing IMU analysis for monitoring Wheelchair activities and his supervised Msc student is supporting IMU analysis in this project for three months in UK from February after being awarded his research studentship by Tohoku University.
Impact I and Msc student have shared IMU analysis method.
Start Year 2017
 
Description World Health Organisation: initial discussions on assistive technology provision 
Organisation World Health Organization (WHO)
Country Global 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution The Global Disability Innovation Hub team presented to Chapel Knasnabis, who commissioned the work to create the WHO Priority Assistive Products List (APL). Discussions have continued as to how we could roll out: 1) New courses in inclusive design and assistive technology design; 2) Design of low-cost assistive technologies. The team have subsequently been asked to join his team in Geneva to map out how we can formalise this collaboration.
Collaborator Contribution Presentations on: 1) Wheelchair innovations - how do we harness sensors and systems to monitor dynamically wheelchair use globally and use this to inform policy at a micro and macro level 2) Wheelchair innovations - Could fuel cells be the solution to power requirements for difficult terrains 3) Inclusive design - what can we learn from the London 2012 Games? General discussions on the way in which inclusive design, assistive technology design and manufacture and entrepreneurship lie at the heart of solving the global challenges of accessibilty.
Impact Chapel Knasnabis to present at the first Global disability Innovation Hub summit:https://www.disabilityinnovation.com/summits
Start Year 2016
 
Company Name Global Disability Innovation HUB C.I.C. 
Description  
Year Established 2017 
Impact We were incorporated in Dec 2017 and are just confirming our first contract with the Department for International Development. In addition we have been told verbally that we have one a research bid for research on disability innovations in Africa. These 2 contracts will result in 1FTE researcher and 0.5FTE Manager role.
 
Description Lecture 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Power assist devices and manual wheelchair users research. Hosted by Giulia Barbareschi at the James Dyson Foundation Summer School, "Redesign the Wheelchair"
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description Lecture 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact Power assist devices for manual wheelchairs, current state of the art and users' perspectives. Lecture for MPHY102P Mechanics and materials, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, UCL November 2017
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description Power-Up! Website established for engagement in project 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Patients, carers and/or patient groups
Results and Impact Project website established to engage the public, wheelchair users and clinicans in our project
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016,2017
URL https://www.uclicpower-up.com
 
Description Public Lecture: University of Auckland 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Public Lecture at the university of Auckland on advances on 'The challenges of creating an accessible transport network in London' as part of the Research Cafe on: Accessible transport and mobility in an age and disability friendly city (Led by Professor Shanthi Ameratunga, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, 13-17 February 2017)have led to:
1) Follow-up discussions with Deloitte, Auckland and University of Auckland about creating a formal partnership with the Global Disability Innovation Hub
2) A number of interesting questions on the day and via email regarding how technology could be used differently to help improve accessibilty.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
URL http://www.arts.auckland.ac.nz/en/about/our-research/research-centres-and-archives/engaged-social-sc...
 
Description UCl-James Dyson foundation Summer School: Redesign the Wheelchair 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact The Summer School attracts hundreds of applications, from which we select 8 girls and 8 boys to come to UCL for one week. During this time they learn about engineering design practice, how to code sensors to measure wheelchair biomechanics, and making skills. They hear from experts in biomedical, mechanical and interaction engineering. Ultimately they first learn how to push a wheelchair (from wheelchair users) and understand how the basic issue NHS wheelchair could be improved for wheelchair users, then get to hack the wheelchair. They prove their designs at the end of the week. Our latest research is infused into the summer schools, in particular elements of coding and data visualisation. The summer school changes their view of what it is to be an engineer.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014,2015,2016
URL http://www.engineering.ucl.ac.uk/schools-engagement/news/james-dyson-foundation-summer-school-2016-r...