Transformative Innovation in the Delivery of Assisted Living products and services (TIDAL)
Lead Research Organisation:
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON
Department Name: Computer Science
Abstract
TIDAL Mapping (WS1). Guided by our consultations with partners we will carry out a series of short focused projects. The first two will focus on the regulatory landscape for AT post-Brexit and will review successful translation of EPSRC-funded research into AT products and services. Three further short projects, focused on key barriers and enablers will be developed by the Network.
TIDAL community development (WS2) will establish the Network and maintain inclusive engagement. A major activity will be running the Annual Symposia and Doctoral Colloquium, with the first focussed on Responsible Engineering.
TIDAL Research (WS3). We fund up to eight research projects of up to £65k (aiming for 2 per theme) to interdisciplinary teams who have an excellent research hypothesis for solving a clear unmet need. There will be three steps of development: 1) an agenda setting workshop 2) targeted calls and a team building workshop (i.e. mini sandpit); 3) review and select proposals for funding. All research projects will have a business mentor and we will also support industry placements (2 months maximum) for academics, and encourage industry-funded placements into academia. Guided by initial consultations with partners we will begin the Network+ with three themes. 1) Responsible Engineering 2) Sensors and Data Science for Communication Aids 3) Design & Digital Manufacturing Systems (DMS) & Physical Devices. An additional theme will be added as TIDAL N+ grows.
WS4: Network Education & Dissemination (WS4) : The TIDAL project is led by Holloway, who co-leads the £19.8million AT2030 Programme (www.at2030.org) and the Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub) Academic Research Centre. These initiatives already have excellent networks for communication and dissemination and TIDAL will take advantage of these. Specific activities will include the development of policy notes based on the work in WS1-3, engagement with local innovators, colleges and schools through hackathons and GDI Hub Live events themed to TIDAL N+.
TIDAL community development (WS2) will establish the Network and maintain inclusive engagement. A major activity will be running the Annual Symposia and Doctoral Colloquium, with the first focussed on Responsible Engineering.
TIDAL Research (WS3). We fund up to eight research projects of up to £65k (aiming for 2 per theme) to interdisciplinary teams who have an excellent research hypothesis for solving a clear unmet need. There will be three steps of development: 1) an agenda setting workshop 2) targeted calls and a team building workshop (i.e. mini sandpit); 3) review and select proposals for funding. All research projects will have a business mentor and we will also support industry placements (2 months maximum) for academics, and encourage industry-funded placements into academia. Guided by initial consultations with partners we will begin the Network+ with three themes. 1) Responsible Engineering 2) Sensors and Data Science for Communication Aids 3) Design & Digital Manufacturing Systems (DMS) & Physical Devices. An additional theme will be added as TIDAL N+ grows.
WS4: Network Education & Dissemination (WS4) : The TIDAL project is led by Holloway, who co-leads the £19.8million AT2030 Programme (www.at2030.org) and the Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub) Academic Research Centre. These initiatives already have excellent networks for communication and dissemination and TIDAL will take advantage of these. Specific activities will include the development of policy notes based on the work in WS1-3, engagement with local innovators, colleges and schools through hackathons and GDI Hub Live events themed to TIDAL N+.
Organisations
- UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON (Lead Research Organisation)
- London South Bank University (Collaboration)
- STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY (Collaboration)
- Newcastle University (Collaboration)
- University of Salford (Collaboration)
- University College London (Collaboration)
- Aston University (Collaboration)
- SWANSEA BAY UNIVERSITY HEALTH BOARD (Collaboration)
- University of Bath (Collaboration)
- Int Res Ctr on Artificial Intelligence (Project Partner)
- Amparo GmbH (Project Partner)
- 3D LifePrints (Project Partner)
- Int Society for Prosthetics & Orthotics (Project Partner)
- Brink Innovation Limited (Project Partner)
- Motivation (Project Partner)
- World Health Organization (Project Partner)
- Agile Ageing Alliance (AAA) (Project Partner)
- GOOD THINGS FOUNDATION (Project Partner)
- Ace Centre (Project Partner)
- Devices for Dignity (Project Partner)
Publications
Berthaume M
(2024)
An affordable and flexible prosthetic socket
Birchall M
(2025)
Is Soft Robotics the Future of Assistive Technology?
Daniel Hajas
(2024)
TIDAL N+ Mentoring Playbook
Dyson M
(2024)
Physiological validation of a novel photonic biosensor
Franco J
(2024)
Optical Sensing of Muscle Activity
Harthikote Nagaraja, V
(2025)
Open-access Prosthetics Provision and Repairs Registry
| Description | 1.1 Most significant achievements • We have allocated all our feasibility funds, so we have achieved the most important aim of the 'Plus' element of a Network Plus. • We consider our focus on supporting ECRs to be significant, because engaging the new generation of researchers in the aims of TIDAL is an important way that we can achieve longer term impacts: they will continue the work of the Network even after the project has ended. We have supported ECRs through two doctoral consortiums and through our feasibility funding: ECRs were particularly encouraged to apply, and one award was reserved for PhD-led applications only (with a sponsor to act as PI). 1.2 To what extent have objectives been achieved TIDAL objectives are: 1. To map the innovation landscape, including analysis of barriers and drivers, case studies of success and EPSRC portfolio mapping 2. To develop and sustain the TIDAL community, driving best practices in inclusive network design wherever possible 3. To initiate small research projects and industry exchanges in community-agreed focus areas, focusing in the first instance on responsible engineering, sensors and data science, and digital manufacturing 4. To disseminate the results of the Network activities and develop a sustainable plan for TIDAL beyond the end of the Network To what extent were award objectives met? Achievements against objectives: 1. Objective 1 - To map the innovation landscape, including analysis of barriers and drivers, case studies of success and EPSRC portfolio mapping We have undertaken five mapping projects: Mapping project 1: Post Brexit Regulatory Review: The impact of Brexit on Assistive Technologies Evidence Brief. This report has been published. It looks at the UK regulatory landscape for assistive technologies post-Brexit. The impact of Brexit on Assistive Technologies Evidence Brief. TIDAL Network+ Working Document March 2023. It provides an overview and understanding of the available evidence on the regulatory landscape for assistive technologies (AT) in the UK in the post-Brexit context. When it left the EU, the UK entered a transitional phase, seeking to dampen the impact on businesses and to allow the UK and EU to agree on a future trading relationship. That transition period ended on the 31 December 2020, and since the 1 Januay 2021 the regulatory landscape in the UK has changed and is characterised as complex and fragmented. The UK regulatory framework for medical devices stems from a number of European Union (EU) directives. However, in the wake of Brexit, certain aspects of that framework are changing, as the EU makes regulatory advances, and the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) put in place transitional plans, including amendments, while establishing the UK's new regime which will come into force in 2024. The report starts by providing a brief legislative context regarding disability rights, assistance, and accessibility as well as trade and manufacturing in light of the UK leaving the EU's regulatory regime. This is followed by an overview of the regulations governing 'Digital Assistive Technologies'. The report finally examines the regulations governing the use of medical devices. Mapping project 2: REF Review: A review of the translation of EPSRC-funded research into novel assistive technologies products and services This report is currently being finalised. The aims of this study are to review the REF case studies published in 2022 referring to novel AT products and services, and to identify barriers and facilitators to the translation of academic research into products and services. As the TIDAL network is EPSRC-funded, the report also explores in more depth, the case studies which reported EPSRC funding to examine the role played by EPSRC funding in AT innovation. Mapping project 3: Training needs analysis This report is currently being finalised. It reports on a survey of the TIDAL community to identify training needs for those working in AT research, the extent to which those are being met, and where the gaps lie. Mapping project 4: Lessons from the Malawi AT ecosystem This report is currently being finalised. The aims of this report are to: assess the roles, technological and innovation capacity within MAP (Malawi Against Physical Disabilities) for developing and implementing next-generation AT; to identify major service providers with a specific emphasis on mobility APs that collaborate with MAP and their areas of specialisation; to identify learning lessons of value to the UK that will inform future research collaboration between Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) and the UK. Mapping project 5: Enabling AT innovation. This report is currently being finalised. The aim of this report is to identify the key factors that enable AT innovations to scale in the UK. 2. Objective 2 - To develop and sustain the TIDAL community, driving best practices in inclusive network design wherever possible Developing and sustaining our community • We have grown our network from 270 people at launch to 514 • In over 200 organisations • Spanning UK, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, and Australia. • From universities, start-ups and established commercial companies, health and third sector organisations, and advocacy groups. • Including early career researchers, established academics, clinicians, other practitioners, AT users, entrepreneurs and policy makers. • Working in disciplines ranging from prosthetics to robotics to biomedical engineering; from AI to materials science to digital fabrication; and from public health to communications to product development. Engaging our community through events: 1. Launch event Our official launch event was on 26th January 2021 aimed at introducing the aims and purpose of TIDAL N+ to our community. We heard from a range of speakers giving different perspectives on the importance of the work of TIDAL N+. Wendy Tindale OBE, Director of Innovation at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and Clinical Director of NIHR Devices for Dignity Healthcare Technology Co-operative (HTC), set out the challenges involved in identifying and meeting clinical needs for assistive technologies, and the urgent need to build a community that can work together to address these. Susie Rogers, Director, Disability Advocate and Paralympic Gold medallist gave a personal perspective on the challenges faced in identifying and meeting user needs within the TIDAL space on a global scale. She emphasised the need for researchers, industry and third sector organisations to work together with users and a whole range of other stakeholders to meet these challenges. Paul Fotheringham, Founder and CTO at biomedical start-up 3DLifePrints discussed the need for closer integration of researchers and industry from earliest stages to accelerate the translation of research into practical solutions for real world problems. Chapal Khasnabis, Head of WHO's Access to Assistive Technology and Medical Devices Unit, picked up on the themes raised by Susie Rogers, to give an international perspective focusing on the need to work in cross-disciplinary teams with users and other key stakeholders such as purchasers and suppliers, in order to crack the problems relating to accessibility, usability and affordability that we continue to see with assistive technology in the UK and globally. Watch our launch event on YouTube. 2. Workshops linked to funding calls We held a number of workshops linked to our feasibility funding calls. Workshop #1 Responsible Engineering Held online on 27th April (agenda setting) and 28th April (collaboration) 2022 • 43 delegates • From 21 institutions • Plus 5 potential partner companies Delegates said: • 'The workshops were excellent, perfect mix of facts, examples and Q&A.' • 'The workshop met the objectives very well.' • 'I liked the overall structure and experience during the tasks in the webinar.' • 'The workshop was structured well. The talks were interesting and the interactive part was very engaging.' Watch our Responsible Engineering workshop on YouTube Workshop #2: DMS (Digital Design and Manufacturing Systems) and Physical Devices Held online 22nd June 2022 (agenda setting) and 23rd June 2022 (collaboration). • 30 delegates • From 16 institutions • Plus 7 potential partner organisations including commercial companies and third sector organisations. Delegates said: • 'The online board and curated discussion around this and the relevance of certain themes which emerged was incredibly helpful when understanding the requirements of the call but also to help understand the broader challenges in the field of assistive devices.' • 'A good and informative slide show, with all relevant details (about the funding call). The call for proposals was clearly aligned with the talks given and relevant stakeholders were present at the event.' • 'This has given me great start in preparation.' Watch our DMS workshop on YouTube Workshop #3: Sensors, Data Science and Communication Aids Held in person on 27th October 2022 at Loughborough University London. • 26 delegates • From 12 institutions • Plus 8 potential partner organisations including commercial companies, start-ups and third sector organisations. Delegates said: • 'I came as an industry contact and as a disabled end user-to make contacts in academia and hear your aims and objectives and I was very well served.' • 'Very enlightening, the key talks and the networking was really good.' • "A comprehensive introduction and thought provoking talks. Great opportunities for discussion and workshopping with other attendees.' • 'I look forward to deepening our collaborations on products and projects.' 3. Doctoral colloquiums • 2 doctoral colloquiums - September 2022 and March 2023 • 60 delegates - mainly PhD students plus a few ECRs • 6 guest speakers giving academic, clinical and industry perspectives on AT and sharing their personal journeys • 15 talks and round-table sessions presented by delegates Aims: to give PhD students an opportunity to: • Share experiences • Give and receive peer support • Network with others within and beyond their own field • Practise presenting and get supportive feedback • Gain insights into the PhD and post-PhD journey Delegates said • "I thought the event was great. The structure of the day made networking more natural and easier, and the guests invited to talk were great to listen to." • "The talks organised were interesting, especially the talks regarding post-PhD (industry or academia)." • "The opportunities to network and give/receive support were well facilitated with the speed-networking and delegate tables." • "It was really great to meet other PhD's in the AT world, I am quite early on in my PhD so being able to hear about different experiences was really helpful." • "The entire day was well planned, informative and fun, and I got a lot out of it as a result." • "I really enjoyed the workshop and the collaborative atmosphere. I got a lot out of hearing what others are researching and it has given me a lot to think about in terms of my questions and approach to academia." • "It was a really great day and inspired me a lot." 2. Objective 3 - To initiate small research projects and industry exchanges in community-agreed focus areas, focusing in the first instance on responsible engineering, sensors and data science, and digital manufacturing One of our core aims is to co-ordinate, inspire and support underpinning research leading to the development of new technologies, and to services that harness advances in digital design, manufacturing and data analysis techniques. We have allocated all our Plus funds, across 9 projects. We have awarded around £60k to each of nine interdisciplinary teams who have an excellent research hypothesis for solving a clear unmet need relating to one of our research themes: We have held 5 feasibility funding calls on: 1. Responsible Engineering 2. DMS (Digital Design and Manufacturing Systems) and Physical Devices 3. Sensors, data science and communication aids 4. An open call on any of the above themes 5. A call specifically aimed at PhD students and ECRs on any of the above themes The aim is for each project to create a proof-of-concept that will enable the collaborators behind it to secure follow-on funding to develop their ideas further, and ultimately to create marketable solutions that address real, unmet AT-user needs. Responsible Engineering projects • 16 Expressions of Interest • 8 full applications • Ideas ranging from understanding and assessing abandonment, to improving the performance of prosthetics so that users actually want to use them. Two projects selected for funding and were completed in autumn 2023. An affordable and flexible prosthetic socket Led by Dr Michael Berthaume of London SouthBank University A project using co-design approaches and a team with expertise in design, sustainable economy, anthropology, mechanical engineering, and P&O (prosthetics and orthotics), to design a flexible, breathable prosthetic socket for use in low-resource settings. A flexible socket made from locally available, reusable resources would reduce waste, carbon emissions, and aid in prosthetic use. A Person Based Approach to the Development of Upper Limb Prostheses Led by Dr Benjamin Metcalfe from Bath University A project to address the high abandonment rates for upper limb prosthesis due to the mismatch between user needs and device performance, by using an approach to technology development and evaluation that integrates the user as a key stakeholder into the research process, not just as a passive voice but as a true co-creator. DMS and Physical Devices projects • 14 Expressions of Interest • 7 full applications • Ideas ranging from automatic interpretation of full colour scans to reduce costs in the digital design of prostheses, to a methodology for embedding patient psychology and needs into a digital design and manufacturing process. Five projects were selected for funding. Three finished in autumn 2023. Another will finish shortly at the end of March 2024. The final project will finished in early summer 2024. Remote capture of patient data for bespoke socket design Led by Dr Nicola Bailey of Bath University A project to develop methodology to remotely capture patient data for a custom socket design. This will alleviate the burden of travel, reduce costs and minimise time scales, whilst providing maximum effective care and removing many barriers to improve prosthetic access. Algorithmic design of functionally graded prosthetic liners Led by Dr Ben Oldfrey of UCL A project to develop new repairability or life-prolonging strategies for composite material structures enabled by additive manufacturing, which can replicate many advantageous structures found in biological tissues, but don't facilitate material recovery and standard sustainability strategies. Bespoke entry-level Wheelchair Rugby chairs through Advanced Distributed Manufacturing Led by Timothy Whitehead, Aston University. Wheelchair rugby is a critical sport for people with disabilities to develop a sense of community, rehabilitate, and maintain an active lifestyle. However, in low-income countries, wheelchairs, especially sports chairs, are very expensive, and lack the bespoke customisation required for increased comfort and performance. This project will test a concept for a bespoke wheelchair which could be made using Additive Manufacturing, to overcome these issues. Improving the efficiency of co-designing personalised assistive technology through utilising digital design and manufacturing systems Led by Jonathan Howard, Swansea Bay University Health Board. The goal of this project is to develop a blueprint for a digital design and manufacturing (DDM) clinical service. DDM will make the co-design process more time, cost and resource-efficient and support the sharing of designs with other clinicians and service users, helping to overcome associated barriers to AT use. This will increase the uptake of personalised AT production by clinicians, leading to improved AT designs and greater levels of patient empowerment. Feasibility of a novel non-pneumatic wheelchair tyre with adaptive spoke technology Led by Otis Wyatt, Staffordshire University Manual wheelchairs are essential assistive technology devices for individuals with reduced mobility, yet existing literature highlights problems experienced by users such as musculoskeletal injuries, back pain, and pressure sores. This study explores whether the adoption of flexible-spoke non-pneumatic tyres (NPTs) can enhance the quality of life for wheelchair users by significantly improving comfort, propulsion efficiency, braking performance, and manoeuvrability while reducing the risk of injuries. Sensors, Data and Communication Aids projects • 19 Expressions of Interest • 11 full applications • Ideas ranging from smart prosthetic design to using AI in cochlea implants 2 projects were selected for funding. They will be finished shortly at the end of March 2024. Physiological validation of a novel photonic biosensor Led by Matthew Dyson, Newcastle University. In this project, an engineer will collaborate with a clinical musculoskeletal specialist to test the characteristics of a low cost photonic sensor with potential applications in a variety of AT. This will include testing the performance of the sensor with different skin tones, which is very timely following the revelation during the Covid pandemic that pulse oximetry sensors often don't work with darker skin tones and may give false readings. Towards improved communication of music via hearing aids and consumer devices exploiting wearable sensors Led by Duncan Williams, Salford University A project to address the poor performance of hearing aids for music. Speech dominates the development and fitting of hearing aids, yet music is a vital part of being human, bringing people together and improving health and wellbeing in many ways. The project will use feedback from wearable sensors to improve and individualise the reproduction of music. Find out more about the projects we have funded. Watch the videos from our researchers about their projects. 3. Objective 4 - To disseminate the results of the Network activities and develop a sustainable plan for TIDAL beyond the end of the Network Webinar: current trends in AT Research Held on 6th March 2023, showcasing the winning projects from our feasibility funding calls, how they will help to transform assistive technology, and contribute to our vision of innovative, sustainable and equitable assistive technologies; providing insights into where some of the latest lines of research inquiry are heading in relation to the TIDAL themes: AT-related Responsible Engineering; Digital Design and Manufacturing; and Sensors, Data Science and Communication Aids. • 205 people attended • 76 from UK and the other from 39 countries spanning Europe, Asia, Africa, South and North America • Representing 148 institutions • Including academic, clinical, voluntary, advocacy, industry representatives Watch the webinar on current trends in AT research. In person event: Building a roadmap for Assistive Technology innovation Held on Thursday 7th September 2023 from 1pm to 4.30pm at University of Salford (MediaCity) Attended by 45 people This was an in-person event aimed at anyone interested in interdisciplinary research relating to the development and improvement of assistive technologies: The aim was to present the research to date carried out by the TIDAL N+ project, including progress on the feasibility projects funded, and the two completed TIDAL mapping projects, looking at the post-Brexit regulatory environment for AT manufacture in the UK, and insights from REF into what helps and what hinders AT research translation. Three further mapping projects were outlined, including one on training needs and provision in AT, one on getting research into policy, and one on pathways to successful scaling of innovations: what is the 'secret sauce'? Finally, a roadmap for future AT innovation (which will synthesise relevant findings from other mapping projects). Videos about feasibility projects Each feasibility project team has been asked to produce a short video about their work - the need they are addressing, the engineering challenges, and how their research will help to overcome these |
| Exploitation Route | Most significant achievements • We have allocated all our feasibility funds, so we have achieved the most important aim of the 'Plus' element of a Network Plus. • We consider our focus on supporting ECRs to be significant, because engaging the new generation of researchers in the aims of TIDAL is an important way that we can achieve longer term impacts: they will continue the work of the Network even after the project has ended. We have supported ECRs through two doctoral consortiums and through our feasibility funding: ECRs were particularly encouraged to apply, and one award was reserved for PhD-led applications only (with a sponsor to act as PI). 1.2 To what extent have objectives been achieved TIDAL objectives are: 1. To map the innovation landscape, including analysis of barriers and drivers, case studies of success and EPSRC portfolio mapping 2. To develop and sustain the TIDAL community, driving best practices in inclusive network design wherever possible 3. To initiate small research projects and industry exchanges in community-agreed focus areas, focusing in the first instance on responsible engineering, sensors and data science, and digital manufacturing 4. To disseminate the results of the Network activities and develop a sustainable plan for TIDAL beyond the end of the Network To what extent were award objectives met? Achievements against objectives: 1. Objective 1 - To map the innovation landscape, including analysis of barriers and drivers, case studies of success and EPSRC portfolio mapping We have undertaken five mapping projects: Mapping project 1: Post Brexit Regulatory Review: The impact of Brexit on Assistive Technologies Evidence Brief. This report has been published. It looks at the UK regulatory landscape for assistive technologies post-Brexit. The impact of Brexit on Assistive Technologies Evidence Brief. TIDAL Network+ Working Document March 2023. It provides an overview and understanding of the available evidence on the regulatory landscape for assistive technologies (AT) in the UK in the post-Brexit context. When it left the EU, the UK entered a transitional phase, seeking to dampen the impact on businesses and to allow the UK and EU to agree on a future trading relationship. That transition period ended on the 31 December 2020, and since the 1 Januay 2021 the regulatory landscape in the UK has changed and is characterised as complex and fragmented. The UK regulatory framework for medical devices stems from a number of European Union (EU) directives. However, in the wake of Brexit, certain aspects of that framework are changing, as the EU makes regulatory advances, and the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) put in place transitional plans, including amendments, while establishing the UK's new regime which will come into force in 2024. The report starts by providing a brief legislative context regarding disability rights, assistance, and accessibility as well as trade and manufacturing in light of the UK leaving the EU's regulatory regime. This is followed by an overview of the regulations governing 'Digital Assistive Technologies'. The report finally examines the regulations governing the use of medical devices. Mapping project 2: REF Review: A review of the translation of EPSRC-funded research into novel assistive technologies products and services This report is currently being finalised. The aims of this study are to review the REF case studies published in 2022 referring to novel AT products and services, and to identify barriers and facilitators to the translation of academic research into products and services. As the TIDAL network is EPSRC-funded, the report also explores in more depth, the case studies which reported EPSRC funding to examine the role played by EPSRC funding in AT innovation. Mapping project 3: Training needs analysis This report is currently being finalised. It reports on a survey of the TIDAL community to identify training needs for those working in AT research, the extent to which those are being met, and where the gaps lie. Mapping project 4: Lessons from the Malawi AT ecosystem This report is currently being finalised. The aims of this report are to: assess the roles, technological and innovation capacity within MAP (Malawi Against Physical Disabilities) for developing and implementing next-generation AT; to identify major service providers with a specific emphasis on mobility APs that collaborate with MAP and their areas of specialisation; to identify learning lessons of value to the UK that will inform future research collaboration between Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) and the UK. Mapping project 5: Enabling AT innovation. This report is currently being finalised. The aim of this report is to identify the key factors that enable AT innovations to scale in the UK. 2. Objective 2 - To develop and sustain the TIDAL community, driving best practices in inclusive network design wherever possible Developing and sustaining our community • We have grown our network from 270 people at launch to 514 • In over 200 organisations • Spanning UK, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, and Australia. • From universities, start-ups and established commercial companies, health and third sector organisations, and advocacy groups. • Including early career researchers, established academics, clinicians, other practitioners, AT users, entrepreneurs and policy makers. • Working in disciplines ranging from prosthetics to robotics to biomedical engineering; from AI to materials science to digital fabrication; and from public health to communications to product development. Engaging our community through events: 1. Launch event Our official launch event was on 26th January 2021 aimed at introducing the aims and purpose of TIDAL N+ to our community. We heard from a range of speakers giving different perspectives on the importance of the work of TIDAL N+. Wendy Tindale OBE, Director of Innovation at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and Clinical Director of NIHR Devices for Dignity Healthcare Technology Co-operative (HTC), set out the challenges involved in identifying and meeting clinical needs for assistive technologies, and the urgent need to build a community that can work together to address these. Susie Rogers, Director, Disability Advocate and Paralympic Gold medallist gave a personal perspective on the challenges faced in identifying and meeting user needs within the TIDAL space on a global scale. She emphasised the need for researchers, industry and third sector organisations to work together with users and a whole range of other stakeholders to meet these challenges. Paul Fotheringham, Founder and CTO at biomedical start-up 3DLifePrints discussed the need for closer integration of researchers and industry from earliest stages to accelerate the translation of research into practical solutions for real world problems. Chapal Khasnabis, Head of WHO's Access to Assistive Technology and Medical Devices Unit, picked up on the themes raised by Susie Rogers, to give an international perspective focusing on the need to work in cross-disciplinary teams with users and other key stakeholders such as purchasers and suppliers, in order to crack the problems relating to accessibility, usability and affordability that we continue to see with assistive technology in the UK and globally. Watch our launch event on YouTube. 2. Workshops linked to funding calls We held a number of workshops linked to our feasibility funding calls. Workshop #1 Responsible Engineering Held online on 27th April (agenda setting) and 28th April (collaboration) 2022 • 43 delegates • From 21 institutions • Plus 5 potential partner companies Delegates said: • 'The workshops were excellent, perfect mix of facts, examples and Q&A.' • 'The workshop met the objectives very well.' • 'I liked the overall structure and experience during the tasks in the webinar.' • 'The workshop was structured well. The talks were interesting and the interactive part was very engaging.' Watch our Responsible Engineering workshop on YouTube Workshop #2: DMS (Digital Design and Manufacturing Systems) and Physical Devices Held online 22nd June 2022 (agenda setting) and 23rd June 2022 (collaboration). • 30 delegates • From 16 institutions • Plus 7 potential partner organisations including commercial companies and third sector organisations. Delegates said: • 'The online board and curated discussion around this and the relevance of certain themes which emerged was incredibly helpful when understanding the requirements of the call but also to help understand the broader challenges in the field of assistive devices.' • 'A good and informative slide show, with all relevant details (about the funding call). The call for proposals was clearly aligned with the talks given and relevant stakeholders were present at the event.' • 'This has given me great start in preparation.' Watch our DMS workshop on YouTube Workshop #3: Sensors, Data Science and Communication Aids Held in person on 27th October 2022 at Loughborough University London. • 26 delegates • From 12 institutions • Plus 8 potential partner organisations including commercial companies, start-ups and third sector organisations. Delegates said: • 'I came as an industry contact and as a disabled end user-to make contacts in academia and hear your aims and objectives and I was very well served.' • 'Very enlightening, the key talks and the networking was really good.' • "A comprehensive introduction and thought provoking talks. Great opportunities for discussion and workshopping with other attendees.' • 'I look forward to deepening our collaborations on products and projects.' 3. Doctoral colloquiums • 2 doctoral colloquiums - September 2022 and March 2023 • 60 delegates - mainly PhD students plus a few ECRs • 6 guest speakers giving academic, clinical and industry perspectives on AT and sharing their personal journeys • 15 talks and round-table sessions presented by delegates Aims: to give PhD students an opportunity to: • Share experiences • Give and receive peer support • Network with others within and beyond their own field • Practise presenting and get supportive feedback • Gain insights into the PhD and post-PhD journey Delegates said • "I thought the event was great. The structure of the day made networking more natural and easier, and the guests invited to talk were great to listen to." • "The talks organised were interesting, especially the talks regarding post-PhD (industry or academia)." • "The opportunities to network and give/receive support were well facilitated with the speed-networking and delegate tables." • "It was really great to meet other PhD's in the AT world, I am quite early on in my PhD so being able to hear about different experiences was really helpful." • "The entire day was well planned, informative and fun, and I got a lot out of it as a result." • "I really enjoyed the workshop and the collaborative atmosphere. I got a lot out of hearing what others are researching and it has given me a lot to think about in terms of my questions and approach to academia." • "It was a really great day and inspired me a lot." 2. Objective 3 - To initiate small research projects and industry exchanges in community-agreed focus areas, focusing in the first instance on responsible engineering, sensors and data science, and digital manufacturing One of our core aims is to co-ordinate, inspire and support underpinning research leading to the development of new technologies, and to services that harness advances in digital design, manufacturing and data analysis techniques. We have allocated all our Plus funds, across 9 projects. We have awarded around £60k to each of nine interdisciplinary teams who have an excellent research hypothesis for solving a clear unmet need relating to one of our research themes: We have held 5 feasibility funding calls on: 1. Responsible Engineering 2. DMS (Digital Design and Manufacturing Systems) and Physical Devices 3. Sensors, data science and communication aids 4. An open call on any of the above themes 5. A call specifically aimed at PhD students and ECRs on any of the above themes The aim is for each project to create a proof-of-concept that will enable the collaborators behind it to secure follow-on funding to develop their ideas further, and ultimately to create marketable solutions that address real, unmet AT-user needs. Responsible Engineering projects • 16 Expressions of Interest • 8 full applications • Ideas ranging from understanding and assessing abandonment, to improving the performance of prosthetics so that users actually want to use them. Two projects selected for funding and were completed in autumn 2023. An affordable and flexible prosthetic socket Led by Dr Michael Berthaume of London SouthBank University A project using co-design approaches and a team with expertise in design, sustainable economy, anthropology, mechanical engineering, and P&O (prosthetics and orthotics), to design a flexible, breathable prosthetic socket for use in low-resource settings. A flexible socket made from locally available, reusable resources would reduce waste, carbon emissions, and aid in prosthetic use. A Person Based Approach to the Development of Upper Limb Prostheses Led by Dr Benjamin Metcalfe from Bath University A project to address the high abandonment rates for upper limb prosthesis due to the mismatch between user needs and device performance, by using an approach to technology development and evaluation that integrates the user as a key stakeholder into the research process, not just as a passive voice but as a true co-creator. DMS and Physical Devices projects • 14 Expressions of Interest • 7 full applications • Ideas ranging from automatic interpretation of full colour scans to reduce costs in the digital design of prostheses, to a methodology for embedding patient psychology and needs into a digital design and manufacturing process. Five projects were selected for funding. Three finished in autumn 2023. Another will finish shortly at the end of March 2024. The final project will finished in early summer 2024. Remote capture of patient data for bespoke socket design Led by Dr Nicola Bailey of Bath University A project to develop methodology to remotely capture patient data for a custom socket design. This will alleviate the burden of travel, reduce costs and minimise time scales, whilst providing maximum effective care and removing many barriers to improve prosthetic access. Algorithmic design of functionally graded prosthetic liners Led by Dr Ben Oldfrey of UCL A project to develop new repairability or life-prolonging strategies for composite material structures enabled by additive manufacturing, which can replicate many advantageous structures found in biological tissues, but don't facilitate material recovery and standard sustainability strategies. Bespoke entry-level Wheelchair Rugby chairs through Advanced Distributed Manufacturing Led by Timothy Whitehead, Aston University. Wheelchair rugby is a critical sport for people with disabilities to develop a sense of community, rehabilitate, and maintain an active lifestyle. However, in low-income countries, wheelchairs, especially sports chairs, are very expensive, and lack the bespoke customisation required for increased comfort and performance. This project will test a concept for a bespoke wheelchair which could be made using Additive Manufacturing, to overcome these issues. Improving the efficiency of co-designing personalised assistive technology through utilising digital design and manufacturing systems Led by Jonathan Howard, Swansea Bay University Health Board. The goal of this project is to develop a blueprint for a digital design and manufacturing (DDM) clinical service. DDM will make the co-design process more time, cost and resource-efficient and support the sharing of designs with other clinicians and service users, helping to overcome associated barriers to AT use. This will increase the uptake of personalised AT production by clinicians, leading to improved AT designs and greater levels of patient empowerment. Feasibility of a novel non-pneumatic wheelchair tyre with adaptive spoke technology Led by Otis Wyatt, Staffordshire University Manual wheelchairs are essential assistive technology devices for individuals with reduced mobility, yet existing literature highlights problems experienced by users such as musculoskeletal injuries, back pain, and pressure sores. This study explores whether the adoption of flexible-spoke non-pneumatic tyres (NPTs) can enhance the quality of life for wheelchair users by significantly improving comfort, propulsion efficiency, braking performance, and manoeuvrability while reducing the risk of injuries. Sensors, Data and Communication Aids projects • 19 Expressions of Interest • 11 full applications • Ideas ranging from smart prosthetic design to using AI in cochlea implants 2 projects were selected for funding. They will be finished shortly at the end of March 2024. Physiological validation of a novel photonic biosensor Led by Matthew Dyson, Newcastle University. In this project, an engineer will collaborate with a clinical musculoskeletal specialist to test the characteristics of a low cost photonic sensor with potential applications in a variety of AT. This will include testing the performance of the sensor with different skin tones, which is very timely following the revelation during the Covid pandemic that pulse oximetry sensors often don't work with darker skin tones and may give false readings. Towards improved communication of music via hearing aids and consumer devices exploiting wearable sensors Led by Duncan Williams, Salford University A project to address the poor performance of hearing aids for music. Speech dominates the development and fitting of hearing aids, yet music is a vital part of being human, bringing people together and improving health and wellbeing in many ways. The project will use feedback from wearable sensors to improve and individualise the reproduction of music. Find out more about the projects we have funded. Watch the videos from our researchers about their projects. 3. Objective 4 - To disseminate the results of the Network activities and develop a sustainable plan for TIDAL beyond the end of the Network Webinar: current trends in AT Research Held on 6th March 2023, showcasing the winning projects from our feasibility funding calls, how they will help to transform assistive technology, and contribute to our vision of innovative, sustainable and equitable assistive technologies; providing insights into where some of the latest lines of research inquiry are heading in relation to the TIDAL themes: AT-related Responsible Engineering; Digital Design and Manufacturing; and Sensors, Data Science and Communication Aids. • 205 people attended • 76 from UK and the other from 39 countries spanning Europe, Asia, Africa, South and North America • Representing 148 institutions • Including academic, clinical, voluntary, advocacy, industry representatives Watch the webinar on current trends in AT research. In person event: Building a roadmap for Assistive Technology innovation Held on Thursday 7th September 2023 from 1pm to 4.30pm at University of Salford (MediaCity) Attended by 45 people This was an in-person event aimed at anyone interested in interdisciplinary research relating to the development and improvement of assistive technologies: The aim was to present the research to date carried out by the TIDAL N+ project, including progress on the feasibility projects funded, and the two completed TIDAL mapping projects, looking at the post-Brexit regulatory environment for AT manufacture in the UK, and insights from REF into what helps and what hinders AT research translation. Three further mapping projects were outlined, including one on training needs and provision in AT, one on getting research into policy, and one on pathways to successful scaling of innovations: what is the 'secret sauce'? Finally, a roadmap for future AT innovation (which will synthesise relevant findings from other mapping projects). Videos about feasibility projects Each feasibility project team has been asked to produce a short video about their work - the need they are addressing, the engineering challenges, and how their research will help to overcome these. Most of these videos have now been delivered and are disseminated via our website. |
| Sectors | Healthcare |
| URL | https://www.ucl.ac.uk/tidal-assistive-tech/progress-report-april-2023 |
| Description | Healthcare Science Innovation Fellowship awarded to Jonathan Howard - funded by the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre for long term conditions, Device for Dignity |
| Amount | £15,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Health Education and Improvement Wales |
| Sector | Learned Society |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2024 |
| End | 03/2025 |
| Description | UKRI MRC IAA |
| Amount | £79,859 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | MR/X502923/1 |
| Organisation | United Kingdom Research and Innovation |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2025 |
| End | 02/2026 |
| Description | University of Bath Alumni Fund |
| Amount | £5,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University of Bath |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2024 |
| End | 07/2025 |
| Description | A Person Based Approach to the Development of Upper Limb Prostheses |
| Organisation | University of Bath |
| Department | School of Health Bath |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The project is funded under the ressponsible engineering theme of TIDAL N+. We held a workshop and answered follow on enquiries helping people understand for example finaince approavl patways in their institutions which we turned into an FAQ. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The project is funded under the ressponsible engineering theme of TIDAL N+. We held a workshop and answered follow on enquiries helping people understand for example finaince approavl patways in their institutions which we turned into an FAQ. |
| Impact | No putputs yet. Outpust expected: academic papers, public engagement and grant proposal. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Algorithmic design of functionally graded prosthetic liners |
| Organisation | University College London |
| Department | UCL Interaction Centre |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The project is funded under the DMS theme of TIDAL N+. We held a workshop and answered follow on enquiries helping people understand for example finaince approavl patways in their institutions which we turned into an FAQ. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The project is funded under the DMS theme of TIDAL N+. We held a workshop and answered follow on enquiries helping people understand for example finaince approavl patways in their institutions which we turned into an FAQ. |
| Impact | No outputs yet. Outpust expected: academic papers, public engagement and grant proposal. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | An affordable and flexible prosthetic socket |
| Organisation | London South Bank University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The project is funded under the ressponsible engineering theme of TIDAL N+. We held a workshop and answered follow on enquiries helping people understand for example finaince approavl patways in their institutions which we turned into an FAQ. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The project is funded under the ressponsible engineering theme of TIDAL N+. We held a workshop and answered follow on enquiries helping people understand for example finaince approavl patways in their institutions which we turned into an FAQ. |
| Impact | Expected outputs are academic publications and a funding prooposal to EPSRC. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Bespoke entry-level Wheelchair Rugby chairs through Advanced Distributed Manufacturing |
| Organisation | Aston University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The project is funded under the DMS theme of TIDAL N+. We held a workshop and answered follow on enquiries helping people understand for example finaince approavl patways in their institutions which we turned into an FAQ. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The project is funded under the DMS theme of TIDAL N+. We held a workshop and answered follow on enquiries helping people understand for example finaince approavl patways in their institutions which we turned into an FAQ. |
| Impact | No outputs yet. Outpust expected: academic papers, public engagement and grant proposal. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Feasibility of a novel non-pneumatic wheelchair tyre with adaptive spoke technology |
| Organisation | Staffordshire University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The project is funded under the DMS theme of TIDAL N+. The funding call was aimed at final year PhD students. We held a workshop to provide training in writing grant applications and help applicants understand how to navigate the internal approvals processes in their organisations. We also provided mentoring support for applicants during the period when they were writing their proposals. We provided funding of £58,966.25 (awarded at 80% equivalent to c£47k) to the successful applicant. We provided ongoing mentoring support to the successful applicant during the project. |
| Collaborator Contribution | TIDAL partners (UCL, Salford, Loughborough, Strathclyde and NTU) participated in the workshop, mentoring and application review process. Staffordshire University carried out a feasibility study to explore whether the adoption of flexible-spoke non-pneumatic tyres (NPTs) can enhance the quality of life for wheelchair users by significantly improving comfort, propulsion efficiency, braking performance, and manoeuvrability while reducing the risk of injuries: Manual wheelchairs are essential assistive technology devices for individuals with reduced mobility, yet research focused on optimising their performance remains scarce. Existing literature highlights problems such as musculoskeletal injuries, back pain, and pressure sores associated with manual wheelchair use. These issues may arise due to current wheelchairs being unable to maximise user comfort, and ease of movement. To address these challenges, this feasibility study proposes implementing Non-Pneumatic Tyres (NPTs) with flexible spoke designs. These tyres are puncture proof, do not require pressure maintenance, and rely on deformable spokes to absorb impacts. The research question driving this study is whether the adoption of flexible-spoke NPTs can enhance the quality of life for wheelchair users by significantly improving comfort, propulsion efficiency, braking performance, and manoeuvrability while reducing the risk of injuries. To achieve this, the project will combine computational finite element modelling, statistical modelling, additive manufacturing, and mechanical testing. By designing unique spoke geometries with tuneable mechanical behaviour, these tyres can adapt to different loading conditions relative to wheelchair everyday tasks and can be tuned to account for the needs of specific individual users. This in turn should allow for unmatched levels of comfort, manoeuvrability, and efficiency that is currently unavailable in conventional wheelchairs. Manufacturing and testing of tyre prototypes, and input from wheelchair users in a Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) groups will validate the proposed NPT technology and methods, ensuring their applicability, acceptability, and desirability. The novelty of this project lies in its groundbreaking approach, as NPTs with flexible-spoke structures have never been used on any type of wheelchair before. Beyond manual everyday wheelchairs, this project's success could unlock opportunities for exploring wheelchair applications in sports and electric wheelchairs, expanding the scope of its impact even further. |
| Impact | Multidisciplinary: Mechanics of Materials, Computational Mechanics, and Biomechanics Mechanical engineering Assistive technology Human performance Solid mechanics, applied mathematics, mechanical engineering Project not finished so no outputs yet. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Improving the efficiency of co-designing personalised assistive technology through utilising digital design and manufacturing systems. |
| Organisation | Swansea Bay University Health Board |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | The project is funded under the DMS theme of TIDAL N+. We held a workshop and answered follow on enquiries helping people understand for example finaince approavl patways in their institutions which we turned into an FAQ. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The project is funded under the DMS theme of TIDAL N+. We held a workshop and answered follow on enquiries helping people understand for example finaince approavl patways in their institutions which we turned into an FAQ. |
| Impact | No outputs yet. Outpust expected: academic papers, public engagement and grant proposal. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Physiological validation of a novel photonic biosensor |
| Organisation | Newcastle University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| PI Contribution | The project is funded under the data and sensors theme of TIDAL N+. We held a workshop and answered follow on enquiries helping people understand for example finaince approavl patways in their institutions which we turned into an FAQ. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The project is funded under the data and sensors theme of TIDAL N+. We held a workshop and answered follow on enquiries helping people understand for example finaince approavl patways in their institutions which we turned into an FAQ. |
| Impact | No outputs yet. Outpust expected: academic papers, public engagement and grant proposal. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Remote capture of patient data for bespoke socket design |
| Organisation | University of Bath |
| Department | School of Health Bath |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The project is funded under the DMS theme of TIDAL N+. We held a workshop and answered follow on enquiries helping people understand for example finaince approavl patways in their institutions which we turned into an FAQ. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The project is funded under the DMS theme of TIDAL N+. We held a workshop and answered follow on enquiries helping people understand for example finaince approavl patways in their institutions which we turned into an FAQ. |
| Impact | No outputs yet. Outpust expected: academic papers, public engagement and grant proposal. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Repair registry |
| Organisation | University of Salford |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The project was informed and influenced by the TIDAL repair consensus workshops held in May and June 2024. The TIDAL team helped to shape the proposal. The first stages of the project were funded from other sources. The final stages of the project were funded by TIDAL. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The Salford team are co-creating an open-access UK registry to help collect, organise, and share information about prosthetics provision and repairs, which are fragmented across different limb-fitting centres in a non-standardised manner. This would help us and others understand how to better design, repair and manage prosthetics, benefiting healthcare providers, service commissioners, prosthetics manufacturers and patients. Preliminary work (pump-primed by Dr Nagaraja's internal funding from March-August 24) involved semi-structured stakeholder interviews/PPIE (n=12) and a consensus survey (https://forms.gle/HYTfminHKPfCvF9LA; n=35). The Salford team were also responsible for data analysis and manuscript write up. They sought funding from TIDAL to conduct a pilot usability test-propelled by external stakeholder input-before rolling out the final version with the support of external grant funding. |
| Impact | None yet. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Towards improved communication of music via hearing aids and consumer devices exploiting wearable sensors |
| Organisation | University of Salford |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The project is funded under the data and sensors theme of TIDAL N+. We held a workshop and answered follow on enquiries helping people understand for example finaince approavl patways in their institutions which we turned into an FAQ. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The project is funded under the DMS theme of TIDAL N+. We held a workshop and answered follow on enquiries helping people understand for example finaince approavl patways in their institutions which we turned into an FAQ. |
| Impact | No outputs yet. Outpust expected: academic papers, public engagement and grant proposal. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | 3D printed rugby wheelchair - blog post in The Conversation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Blog post in the Conversation about the 3D wheelchair designed as part of Tim Whitehead's team at Aston University as part of their TIDAL-funded feasibility project, 'Bespoke entry-level wheelchair rugby chairs through Advanced Distributed Manufacturing '. As at 6/2/25, the post had received 2,264 reads, 53 shares and 1 comment. comments. . |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://theconversation.com/how-to-reduce-the-prohibitive-cost-of-sports-wheelchairs-to-make-sport-m... |
| Description | 3D printed rugby wheelchair - schools outreach |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Timothy Whitehead's team at Aston University was awarded one of our TIDAL feasibility grants for the project, 'Bespoke entry-level wheelchair rugby chairs through Advanced Distributed Manufacturing '. The team conducted a wheelchair focus group at Aston University where students with Special Educational Needs from Wilson Stuart School explored the chair design and gave feedback. This not only allowed the children to voice their thoughts on the design but also served as a bridge between them and the university. Feedback from students and staff was very positive with many asking if it could go into production. One key piece of feedback given during the session was that it would be great to bring wheelchair sports into the mainstream school curriculum. Students expressed a desire that everyone in primary school should be able to access disability sport to raise awareness and increase understanding and empathy. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | 3D printed rugby wheelchair at Engineering Design Show 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Timothy Whitehead's team at Aston University was awarded one of our TIDAL feasibility grants for the project, 'Bespoke entry-level wheelchair rugby chairs through Advanced Distributed Manufacturing '. The 3D printed wheelchair design was exhibited at the Engineering Design Show in October 2024 in the Innovation Zone. We were able to secure the stand free of charge based on the nature of the project and the 3D metal printing innovation and the social benefit of the product. There were 4500 people who attended the show over the 2 days. We received positive feedback, conducted one media interview for RS talking about the wheelchair and the project. We employed two final year students to be present all the time and discuss the project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Blog post - in The Conversation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Blog post on The Conversation: "How to reduce the prohibitive cost of sports wheelchairs to make sport more inclusive". This was about the research which Tim Whitehead's team carried out for their TIDAL feasibility project. The aim was to disseminate the research to a wider audience than academic including general public, practitioners, policy makers etc. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://theconversation.com/how-to-reduce-the-prohibitive-cost-of-sports-wheelchairs-to-make-sport-m... |
| Description | Building a roadmap for AT innovation - in person event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Building a roadmap for Assistive Technology innovation Thursday 7th September 2023 from 1pm to 4.30pm at University of Salford (MediaCity) Attended by 45 people This was an in-person event aimed at anyone interested in interdisciplinary research relating to the development and improvement of assistive technologies: • Academic researchers, including students and PhD candidates, in disciplines including engineering, biomechanical engineering, materials science, data science, sensors, AI, health tech who are working in the field of assistive technologies such as prosthetics and orthotics, hearing aids, visual aids, mobility devices such as wheelchairs, medical devices, digital accessibility and other digital AT. • Clinicians, Allied Health Professionals and others in the health sector working with disabled people / AT users / health technologies and/or with an interest in the above • Researchers, product designers, manufacturers in AT industry • AT users and advocates The aim was to present the research to date carried out by the TIDAL N+ project, including progress on the feasibility projects funded, and the two completed TIDAL mapping projects, looking at the post-Brexit regulatory environment for AT manufacture in the UK, and insights from REF into what helps and what hinders AT research translation. Three further mapping projects were outlined, including one on training needs and provision in AT, one on getting research into policy, and one on pathways to successful scaling of innovations: what is the 'secret sauce'? Finally, a roadmap for future AT innovation (which will synthesise relevant findings from other mapping projects). The vent was supported in kind by Health Innovation Manchester who helped promote the event. Agenda 1.00 to 1.45 Networking Lunch 1.45 to 2.05 Welcome and Intro to TIDAL (Prof Los Kenney) • TIDAL aims • Research themes & funding calls • Developing a roadmap for future assistive technology (AT) Innovation through the TIDAL 'mapping' projects 2.05 to 3.05 Transforming assistive technology (TIDAL lead researchers) • An introduction from the lead researchers whose feasibility projects have been funded by TIDAL, and how they will help to transform AT • Insights into where some of the latest lines of research inquiry are heading in the fields of AT-related Responsible Engineering; Digital Design and Manufacturing; Sensors, Data Science and Communication Aids: • Dr Michael Berthaume - LSBU/Kings College London - An affordable and flexible prosthetic socket • Leen Jabban - Bath University - A Person Based Approach to the Development of Upper Limb Prostheses • Dr Elena Seminati for Dr Nicola Bailey - Bath University/Kings College London - Remote capture of patient data for bespoke socket design • Dr Elze Porte - UCL - Algorithmic design of functionally graded prosthetic liners • Dr Timothy Whitehead - Aston University - Bespoke entry-level Wheelchair Rugby chairs through Advanced Distributed Manufacturing (video presentation) • Otis Wyatt - Staffordshire University - Feasibility of a novel non-pneumatic wheelchair tyre with adaptive spoke technology • Jonathan Howard - Swansea Bay University Health Board - Improving the efficiency of co-designing personalised assistive technology through utilising digital design and manufacturing systems • Dr Duncan Williams - Salford University - Exploiting wearable sensors for improved communication of music via hearing aids and consumer devices • Dr Matthew Dyson - Newcastle University - Physiological validation of a novel photonic biosensor 3.05 to 3.30 The post-Brexit regulatory environment for Assistive Technology (Prof Cathy Holloway on behalf of Cynthia Vindrola, RREAL Lab) • In the wake of Brexit, the regulatory framework for assistive technologies in the UK is changing, and a new regime will come into place in 2024. What are the implications for manufacturing of AT in the UK, in particular for digital AT and medical devices? 3.30 to 3.45 Comfort break and refreshments (15 mins) 3.45 to 4.10 A review of AT Research impact. What helps and what hinders the translation of academic research into new assistive technology products and services? (Prof Los Kenney / Niamh Gill) • Findings from a review of Assistive Technology research impact, with insights from case studies identifying barriers and facilitators. 4.10 Closing remarks (Prof Los Kenney) 4.15 CLOSE |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.ucl.ac.uk/tidal-assistive-tech/events/2023/sep/building-roadmap-assistive-technology-inn... |
| Description | Communicating Your Research with Diverse Audiences - workshop with Steve Cross |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Held on 25th June 2024 Steve Cross has worked in communicating research for twenty years, including having been Head of Public Engagement at UCL from 2008-2015. Steve is also a comedian. This session took a playful and light-hearted look at communicating your ideas powerfully and in engaging ways to audiences including potential investors, users and researchers in other fields. It focused on understanding an audience's motivations and preferred language, grabbing emotional and intellectual attention quickly, and talking about our ideas in ways that make our audience want to take action on the ideas' behalf. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://drstevecross.squarespace.com |
| Description | Doctoral Colloquium 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | First Doctoral Colloquium was held 13th September 2022 in London. Attended by 23 PhD students from 11 different universities. Guest presentations from Jonathan Howard, Swansea University / Swansea Bay University Health Board and Alixandra Chadwell, Salford University + 4 delegates presented their research. Feedback from event: 'Very informative speakers, detailing their PhD journey.' 'Very good insight into the PhD and post-PhD journey. Good coverage of different AT and different fields of expertise. ''Good opportunity for people to present. I am not part of a big research group so I benefited from learning from each other and especially post-PhD planning and experiences.' 'Good insight into one journey post phd.' 'I think everything was achieved aside from the industry perspective (speaker couldn't attend at last minute), which will hopefully be filled in at a later stage.' 'Excellent' 'A well organised event, the format of the day allowed for everyone to mingle well and to make new contacts. Presentations were interesting and engaging and it was excellent to hear from speakers who had been through or currently engaged in their PHD's. Especially great to share the ups and downs as well as tips and advice.' 'Really excellent event and I got a lot out of it. Thank you for organising and hope these continue in the future.' 'Thanks for an enjoyable day!' 'Thank you for the opportunities' |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.ucl.ac.uk/tidal-assistive-tech/doctoral-colloquium-2022 |
| Description | Doctoral Colloquium 2023 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | TIDAL N+ held their Doctoral Colloquium 2023 on Thursday 23rd March 2023 at Loughborough London, Here East, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London. The event was attended by 35 students, all UK-based PhD students representing a diverse range of nationalities (so in that sense the reach was international), and studying for a range of different AT-related PhD topics. Aims of the Doctoral Colloquium • Connect PhD students with an interest in AT with one another, and with research and ideas in the field • Share experiences • Peer support • Networking • Practise presenting and get supportive feedback • Insights into the PhD and post-PhD journey from our guest speakers, who will give informal presentations about their own journeys from PhD to where they are now The agenda included: Speed networking between delegates Delegate presentations. 10 delegates had the opportunity to • Present some of their work and get feedback on their presentation • Share and discuss any particular research challenges they may be experiencing and ask for input from the group • Share ideas and plans and ask for contacts and connections who may be able to help or advise Guest speaker presentations: George Kayanga George is a Doctoral Researcher at Loughborough University London, Department for Design Innovation, focusing on Innovation and Public Policy within Assistive Technology Ecosystems in Africa. Before joining Loughborough University, he was a Communication and Project Management Specialist and has over 20 years of experience working with various NGOs at national, regional, and international levels. He will be talking about his experiences of research and practice in the field. Marisa Sargant Marisa completed her MSc in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Strathclyde in 2017, before continuing her academic career within the area of rehabilitation engineering. Her main area of interest is prosthetics with a particular focus on lower-limb amputees and soft tissue health. As part of a multi-disciplinary research group, she is currently working towards the evaluation of the limb's response to loading by combining anatomical, physiological, and biomechanical know-how and techniques on various organisational levels, from cells over tissues through to the entire limb. Marisa will be sharing her experiences as a PhD candidate. Tigmanshu Bhatnagar Tigmanshu is a product designer, currently a PhD student at the Global Disability Innovation Hub and the UCL Interaction Centre. His interest lies in designing and developing effective products and technologies with people with disabilities. His PhD thesis focuses on haptic displays for sensory substitution. He will be talking about his experiences as a PhD student, which over the last year have included developing a refreshable braille and graphical display interface for blind and partially sighted people, and supporting multiple modules of the Disability Design and Innovation Masters programme at UCL. Rhys Williams Rhys works for Meta (Facebook) as a Senior UX Researcher, exploring how to improve existing products, and avenues for new product development and innovation. Before joining Meta, he was Head of Innovation Insights at GDI Hub and taught product development on the MSc Entrepreneurship at UCL's School of Management. His PhD research investigated the user experience of lower-limb prosthetics using mixed methods to comprehensively explore the reality of life with a prosthetic. He will be talking about his personal journey and experiences of moving from academia into industry. Feedback: Delegate feedback was very positive. The event scores an overall rating of 4.5 / 5 All respondents said they would attend another TIDAL event Comments from delegates: • I thought the event was great. The structure of the day made networking more natural and easier, and the guests invited to talk were great to listen to. • The talks organised were interesting, especially the talks regarding post-PhD (industry or academia), and the vast amount of time given in the day for networking was very useful for talking to other PhD students about their projects • The class-wide presentations went better. I think shorter allotted times could benefit even more the flowing of the morning/early afternoon. 25 minutes long+QA. The material was interesting and kept me focused. I'd talk more about tangible products that come out from research rather than coding related or life-lessons. especially the latters are absolutely fine and needed, but to keep the audience interested they should be kept to a digestable amount. • The opportunities to network and give/receive support were well facilitated with the speednetworking and delegate tables. It was good to sandwich these with presentations in the middle to avoid fatigue/burnout and for us to think of questions following the presentations. Insights into the PhD/post-PhD journey from the speakers worked really well, this was a great opportunity that is not always available and the size of the group made it feel comfortable. • It was a fantastic event, especially for early-career researchers like me. I got a great idea about how different students' PhD journey goes up and down. It will definitely help me a lot. • It was really great to meet other PhD's in the AT world, I am quite early on in my PhD so being able to hear about different experiences was really helpful. I especially enjoyed the wider discussion with Mikko, Lars and Cathy around careers post PhD in industry and/or academia. The entire day was well planned, informative and fun, and I got a lot out of it as a result. • Post-PhD experiences and opportunities from previous PhD students was very insightful. • I really enjoyed the workshop and the collaborative atmosphere. Everyone was really keen to share their experiences and help inform others on the PhD journey. I got a lot out of hearing what others are researching and it has given me a lot to think about in terms of my questions and approach to academia. • Great - informative speakers. • Thank you so much for an amazing conference last Thursday. I really appreciated the opportunity to connect with other Doctoral researchers across the universities. • It was a great event. I got a lot of ideas regarding the journey of a PhD student. • The event was great. • I had a fantastic time at the Colloquium, and I am very grateful to have been included. • I thoroughly enjoyed the Doctoral Colloquium, thank you for all the support. • I appreciate the opportunity to attend the recent Colloquium, which was a valuable experience. • Thank you very much for organising the TIDAL Doctoral Colloquium. It was great opportunity to meet and listen from other doctoral students. • Thank you very much again for the invite to this colloquium. I had a great time at the TIDAL N+ event last Thursday. • Overall, I had a really good time and felt the day was organised extremely well. Thank you so much for allowing me to attend. • Thank you - the workshop was worthwhile and beneficial! I enjoyed learning about the space we were in at Loughborough also. I came away from the workshop feeling supported by people at the same stage or more senior in their careers, and part of a wider group of researchers with common goals. • Just to say it was a really great day and inspired me a lot • Thank you very much for providing a place for me at the colloquium and funding my trip, I wouldn't have been able to attend otherwise and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity. Suggestions for future events from delegates • Maybe one or two more interactive activities and move the project talks to the end where we were split into groups as it would have allowed better discussion I think about the project and the research area • Shorter presentations, more structured round-table sessions. Some non-native speakers colleague had troubles understanding how they were supposed to run. • The format was improved from last year! One suggestion we came up with in speed networking was having an online forum type space for TIDAL so the conversations could continue on one platform - some added each other on LinkedIn but it was not possible to connect with every attendee on the day. • It will be good if there is a brief show of the labs and the facilities that work in the field of AT and rehabilitation. • Maybe more talks from the professors about their experiences as I found that was really helpful for wider discussion I would have preferred 5 minute presentations giving enough time for everyone to present to the whole group, and an allocated time for questions at the end. As my project was not closely related to others, very few came to view my presentation. I think if it was over two days rather than one, then it might not feel so rushed and for those travelling from quite a distance, it would be really helpful. I thought it was fantastically organised and would definitely attend something similar in the future. I would just like to share my gratitude for hosting such a great event. It was impactful to see others in the accessible domain as I am currently the only member in the dept focusing on this. Ideas from delegates for future themes and topics • I would love to attend a Colloquium about signal acquisition/data processing for the purpose of AT. • Would be nice to have had some hands on stuff so maybe bring in some AT? • Perhaps a session on science comms and how we can connect with the general public, facilitating co-design and education perhaps? • Soft Robotics and it's role in AT • Paediatric assistive tech • Rehabilitation Technology or more exploration into different methodologies. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Feasibility funding Call 5 preparatory workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Feasibility funding Call 5 preparatory workshop Weds 28th June 2023 - 10am to 5pm Call 5 was aimed at PhD students. To be eligible to apply for funding, the lead applicant (PhD student) was required first to apply to attend an online workshop. Only those who were given a place on the workshop, and attended the workshop, were eligible to apply for the funding. There were 8 places on the workshop, hence 8 delegates. They were from 7 different institutions and represented a range of disciplines including bio-mechanics, data science/AI and materials science. The aim of the workshop was to provide delegates with the skills to develop collaborations and project proposals and present these in a compelling way to increase their chances of success. The agenda was: 10.00 -10.15 Welcome and introductions - Cathy Holloway 10.15 - 12.30 How to develop and structure a compelling proposal - Jon Bird 12.30 - 13.15 Lunch 13.15 - 14.45 Building collaborations ? Collaboration - working together in a competitive environment - Jon Bird ? Collaborating with different kinds of partners - Richard Bibb 14.45 - 15.00 Comfort break/refreshments 15.00 - 15.45 Navigating your institution ? Panel discussion: getting institutional support - TIDAL investigator team ? Finance processes: timescales, challenges, pitfalls (Ben Oldfrey) 15.45 - 16.15 Impact - Cathy Holloway ? What is impact, why it matters and how to show it beyond publications 16.15 - 16.35 Rejection: the inevitability of rejection, building your resilience, recycling ideas 16.35 to 17.00 Call timetable and Q&A |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.ucl.ac.uk/tidal-assistive-tech/funding-calls/call-5-feasibility-projects-led-phd-student... |
| Description | Feasibility projects webinar |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Webinar title: Current themes in AT research - Introducing TIDAL N+ feasibility projects. Thursday March 16th from 12.00 midday to 1.00pm 2023 • This webinar focused on presentations from the winning projects from our recent TIDAL N+ feasibility funding calls, how they will help to transform assistive technology, and contribute to our vision of innovative, sustainable and equitable AT, both physical and digital. • Our feasibility researchers introduced the research and engineering challenges they'll be tackling, what they hope to achieve, and why it matters. • Webinar was aimed at people interested in interdisciplinary research relating to the development and improvement of assistive technologies, to give them an you an insight into where some of the latest lines of research inquiry are heading in the fields of AT-related Responsible Engineering; Digital Design and Manufacturing; and Sensors, Data Science and Communication Aids. Speakers included: • Dr Michael Berthaume - LSBU - An affordable and flexible prosthetic socket • Leen Jabban - Bath University - A Person Based Approach to the Development of Upper Limb Prostheses • Dr Nicola Bailey - Bath University - Remote capture of patient data for bespoke socket design • Dr Ben Oldfrey - UCL - Algorithmic design of functionally graded prosthetic liners • Dr Timothy Whitehead - Aston University - Bespoke entry-level Wheelchair Rugby chairs through Advanced Distributed Manufacturing • Jonathan Howard - Swansea Bay University Health Board - Improving the efficiency of co-designing personalised assistive technology through utilising digital design and manufacturing systems • Dr Duncan Williams - Salford University - Exploiting wearable sensors for improved communication of music via hearing aids and consumer devices • Dr Matthew Dyson - Newcastle University - Physiological validation of a novel photonic biosensor Registrations 228 From 147 different organisations including: Academic, private sector, entrepreneurs, NGO's including UNICEF, International Committee of Red Cross and WHO, foundations such as Clinton Health Access Initiative, other third sector, disability advocacy, UK government departments 80 delegates from UK; others represented 41 different countries from all continents. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.ucl.ac.uk/tidal-assistive-tech/events/webinar-current-themes-research-introducing-tidal-... |
| Description | Inclusive research videos |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | The TIDAL grant application proposed that we would develop learning content to support AT researchers. During the TIDAL ECR Accelerator it became apparent that researchers don't necessarily know how to engage effectively with disabled people and involve them as participants in AT research and innovation activities, so we commissioned a series of 20 short videos exploring the issues with disabled people who have a range of impairments, and AT researchers. The aim was to provide some guidance for researchers, to help them understand a range of lived-experiences of disability, and to prompt them to think about their own research and how they might make it more inclusive, from its very inception onwards. The videos are on the GDI Hub YouTube channel and have a range |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.disabilityinnovation.com/projects/inclusive-research |
| Description | Leaders Forum Talk |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Feedback from the TIDAL talk: The Leaders' Forum generated many hours of content, which I have been trawling through since the event. We have just posted some highlights from your panel discussion, together with the full version. Between you and I (and Iain ) your presentation is my favourite. I particularly like your TRL 5 challenge, which is also close to my heart as an IUK MO. Here is a link to the LinkedIn post This one will take you direct to the videos. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fpulse%2Fhow-can... |
| Description | RegMetrics Medical Devices Regulation Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Medical device regulations - Interactive workshop 4th July 2024 10am to midday. This workshop was held as part of the TIDAL ECR Accelerator programme and was attended by participants in that programme. The workshop was very well received by participants who mentioned the coverage of medical device regulation as one of the benefits of the programme in their programme feedback (see main entry for TIDAL ECR Accelerator) The workshop is designed for anyone who is developing a device for the health sector and is unsure about whether they need to adhere to the Medical Device Regulations; what the risk classification of their medical device is according to the Medical Device Regulations; or which requirements a medical device need to conform to. The objective of this workshop is to learn the first key aspects of the medical device regulations: to determine when a product is a medical device, what the risk classification of the device is and what the next steps are. It is for people who are working in the area of medical devices / digital health solutions, including: academic researchers, clinicians, science students, innovators, start up's, SME's, research council, research services and tech transfer support. By the end of the workshop delegates will be able to: • Identify if a device / digital health solution is a medical device. • Classify a medical device according to the Medical Device Regulation (EU) risk levels. • Find the requirements that medical devices need to conform too. • Hands on experience in using the regulatory tool: RegMetrics. The workshop was run by Rita Hendricusdottir who is the CEO of RegMetrics and holds a PhD in Neuroscience at King's College London. She is passionate about making sure that patients have access to the latest technologies that can improve their life. In order for MedTech companies to bring new medical devices to the market, they have to adhere to the medical device regulations. The challenge is to bridge the knowledge gap between engineering and law. Rita has always been fascinated in how to best connect disciplines in order to generate the strongest outcomes. Her previous work experience has been on bridging the gap between biology and bioinformatics to ensure better collaboration (ELIXIR) or to ensure that Pharma departments had the same understanding of a subject area (OxfordPharmaGenesis). RegMetrics (www.reg-metrics.com) is a regulatory compliance software that supports you with the regulatory requirements step by step. The software is easy to use, saves time and no prior regulatory knowledge is required. RegMetrics provides an objective and trustworthy approach with all its content referencing official documents, whilst using data driven technologies to cater to all types of medical devices from software to hardware, as well as in-vitro diagnostics. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.reg-metrics.com/blogs/blog-can-regmetrics-help-academics/ |
| Description | Soft Robotics workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Is Soft Robotics the Future of Assistive Technology? A seminar on the applications of Soft Robotics in AT. This half-day, in person workshop was a hosted by SoRo-Health https://www.softroboticshealth.org.uk/ with support from TIDAL N+. It was held on 10th December at UCL East in London. The workshop offered an exploratory discussion about the role of soft robotics in assistive technology. Can soft robotics address challenges related to reduced motor function, such as mobility and rehabilitation needs? The aim was to stimulate discussion and to provide focus to soft robotics device development in the area of assistive technology. Participants discussed real-world needs of those with impaired mobility and looked at how new soft robotics solutions can transition from the lab to everyday use. Martin Birchall (So-Ro Health) and Richard Bibb (TIDAL Network+) gave an introduction, followed by an overview of soft robotics from Jonathan Rossiter who explained that soft robotics is a subfield of robotics that involves the design, control, and fabrication of robots made from soft materials, mimicking those in nature. In contrast to the rigid-bodied robots built from metals, ceramics and hard plastics with which we are more familiar from the news and media, soft robots have the potential to be safer and more acceptable when working in close contact with humans, including those with illnesses and disabilities. Richard Bibb represented both TIDAL N+ and ReMed (Circular Economy for Small Medical Devices) projects providing opportunities for links between the projects. A panel of people with lived experience of mobility issues then discussed the real-world unmet mobility and activity needs of those living with reduced motor function, highlighted the issues they face within and outside the home, and presented challenges to engineers and medical professionals. There was then a response from a panel of soft robotics engineers, a start-up executive/engineer, and an expert in design and manufacturing, discussing how we might get new soft robotics solutions to these problems into people's homes. 77 people registered for the So-Ro/TIDAL event. 4 expert users panel, 28 PhD students, 9 researchers and 24 academics, with the remainder being in clinical and industry roles. 50 attended. Further work planned includes a journal paper and subsequent meetings, a larger conference and collaborative network grants (from SoRo funding) targeting the themes of the day. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.softroboticshealth.org.uk/soro-health-tidal-present-is-soft-robotics-the-future-of-assis... |
| Description | TIDAL Accelerator |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | TIDAL Accelerator to Support Early Career Researchers in Commercialising Innovative Technologies The TIDAL N+ ECR Accelerator was a pilot programme to support Early Career Researchers (ECRs) to translate their research into marketable assistive technology innovations. It was developed with the aim of testing the process of running an accelerator for ECRs working on early-stage technologies, and to help them advance their projects through mentoring, business training, and hands-on support-resources often lacking at early stages of tech development. It launched on May 1st 2024, ran for 3 months and supported 4 aspiring innovators: Project 1 A photonic device for sensing muscle activity. Early tests confirm the sensor outputs can track changes associated with muscle activation in various areas of the body. Relative to current technology it has componentry that are readily available and very low cost; uses less power and can be adapted to on-demand power usage; is invariant to factors that make electrical biosensors unreliable in warmer climates and requires less signal conditioning to produce a usable and interpretable output signal. Photonic systems have been proposed as a method of achieving a far greater understanding of muscle biochemistry, physiology, and pathology to improve human healthcare. The major challenge identified to achieving this is the availability of a low-cost, easily accessible, wearable photonic sensor. These benefits align with societal requirements for cheap, non-invasive, and ubiquitous medical sensing capabilities that can alleviate NHS costs by monitoring health in the home environment. Project 2 A multi-modal hearing aid system. This advanced solution integrates audio, visual, and radar-based technologies to provide comprehensive support for individuals with hearing impairments. By combining traditional microphone-based audio input with visual cues and radar sensing capabilities, this innovative system offers enhanced auditory feedback in various environments. The multi-modal approach enables improved sound localization, reduced background noise, and increased clarity in speech and environmental sounds. The radar-based component detects and analyses sound waves in real-time, complementing the audio and visual cues for a more holistic hearing experience. This AT innovation is designed to cater to the diverse needs of individuals with hearing loss, offering customizable settings and adaptable functionality to suit different listening environments and preferences. By commercializing this multi-modal hearing aid system, I aim to enhance the quality of life for individuals with hearing impairments by providing comprehensive and personalized auditory support. Project 3 Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) for green communication, health care, blind spot coverage and non line of sight (NLOS) signals for rural areas. RIS represents a breakthrough technology with profound implications across various domains. In the realm of green communication, RIS offers an innovative approach by dynamically adjusting the propagation environment, thus optimizing energy efficiency and reducing overall carbon footprint. Moreover, in healthcare, RIS holds promise for enhancing wireless connectivity within medical facilities, enabling real-time monitoring and communication between devices for improved patient care. Additionally, in non-line-of-sight (NLOS) scenarios prevalent in rural areas, RIS can mitigate signal blockages and enhance coverage, bridging the connectivity gap and facilitating access to essential services like telemedicine and education, thereby fostering socioeconomic development in underserved regions and opening up the possibilities for delivery of remote services. Project 4 An innovative Assistive Technology (AT) solution, leveraging the flexibility and interoperability of Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) architecture, designed specifically for enhancing dental care accessibility and efficiency. This AT innovation, named "DentAR," utilizes augmented reality (AR) facilitated by Open RAN to provide real-time, interactive dental imaging and diagnostic assistance directly in dental practices. The problem at the heart of our innovation is the significant barrier to early and accurate dental disease diagnosis, which often results in delayed treatments and worsened health outcomes. Traditional diagnostic methods can be invasive, uncomfortable, and not always accessible to all populations. "DentAR" addresses these challenges by offering a non-invasive, precise, and user-friendly diagnostic tool that empowers dental professionals with instant insights into patients' oral health, fostering a proactive approach to dental care. Preliminary results from our prototype testing have demonstrated "DentAR's" potential to significantly improve diagnostic accuracy and patient comfort during examinations. Our solution also aligns with the sustainable development goals of enhancing health and well-being for all, by making advanced dental care accessible and efficient through the integration of Open RAN technology. TIDAL's role was to support each project to find appropriate technology-product fit, and to help the entrepreneurs identify a viable plan to take their project forward beyond the duration of the accelerator. At its launch, Prof Cathy Holloway, Academic Director at GDI Hub and TIDAL project lead, said, "The launch of the TIDAL Accelerator represents a significant milestone in our mission to foster innovation and entrepreneurship among early career researchers. By providing strategic support, mentorship, and access to resources, we aim to empower these innovators to transform their research into tangible solutions that address real-world challenges and create lasting value." Ben Hardman, Head of Innovation Ecosystems at GDI Hub, explained the programme content: "The TIDAL Accelerator is not just about finding funding; it's about providing comprehensive support to early career researchers at every stage of their entrepreneurial journey. Through a blend of technical mentorship, individual coaching, and peer support sessions, we aim to equip innovators with the tools, knowledge, and networks they need to succeed in commercializing their innovations." Group sessions offered a diverse range of activities tailored to the needs of the participating innovators - from retrospective discussions on assumption validation to thematic presentations on business modelling, IP protection, and pitching for investment. "The group sessions were designed to provide a holistic learning experience, combining theoretical insights with practical exercises and peer feedback," says Daniel Hajas, lead facilitator of the TIDAL Accelerator. "By fostering a collaborative environment where innovators can learn from each other's experiences and perspectives, the aim was to accelerate their progress towards commercial success." In addition to the group sessions, participants benefitted from one-to-one check-ins, individual innovation coaching, and access to a virtual venture studio for collaborative work and resource sharing. Furthermore, the accelerator offered opportunities for networking, mentorship, and showcasing innovations to potential collaborators, entrepreneurship support organisations, and industry partners. The overall feedback from participants on the TIDAL Accelerator was extremely positive. • The insights and knowledge I gained from the accelerator program have transformed me from an academic researcher into an entrepreneur who can now apply business models to invest in technology. • The TIDAL Accelerator has been invaluable, offering key insights into product development, business strategy, and market validation. The mentoring and networking opportunities have significantly advanced my project and its path to commercialization. • The program greatly enhanced my understanding of commercialization, particularly in market analysis, strategic positioning, and balancing product development with market needs. • The TIDAL Accelerator was a transformative experience, providing the necessary skills, knowledge, and networks to take (my innovation) from concept to commercialization. • My overall experience with the TIDAL Accelerator was exceptional. I felt very fortunate to be mentored by Daniel and Ben, who provided valuable advice and brought a wealth of experience. I learned a lot throughout the program. Balancing my regular job with the accelerator was hectic, and I feel a bit frazzled now that it's over-but I would do it all over again! • This was my first major career development step that I have made (outside of academia), and I believe it was a very strong and valuable move to make. (My) project would not be where it is today without the support from TIDAL. • The TIDAL Accelerator significantly impacted my professional development and project success. It provided me with critical insights into commercialization strategies, enhanced my understanding of the innovation ecosystem, and helped me refine my project for greater market readiness. The connections I made and the skills I acquired through the program have been invaluable in advancing my career and pushing my project closer to success. How could we improve it next time? The suggestions for improvement offered were: • I suggest incorporating in-person workshops instead of virtual ones and offering shorter, industry-specific training sessions. • My only suggestion would be to include more hands-on workshops for practical skill development. • I suggest more in-depth sessions on navigating regulatory landscapes and intellectual property management, which are critical for ventures in highly regulated sectors like healthcare. • I am really struggling to think of ways to improve it! It could be beneficial to have an onsite visit to a couple of (UK) start-ups who are at various stages of scaling up? What did we achieve? • We have demonstrated the effectiveness of this approach in helping ECRs bridge the gap between academia and industry, to support the translation of research, and help research-based technologies to be commercialised effectively and make it to market. • All participants in the Accelerator were able to move their ideas forward down the path towards commercialisation. The insights gained by one participant during the programme, whose innovation was a non-invasive technique for monitoring muscular activity, prompted him to shift his focus away from simply trying to compete with traditional techniques, towards a new goal of using the technology to enable speech restoration in people with motor neurone disease. This demonstrates the real-world impact of the accelerator in helping innovators to develop user-focused applications for their research that meet the needs of disabled people. • The success of the Accelerator also demonstrated an unmet need amongst ECRs for the kind of support offered by the Accelerator and the benefits of investing further funding into similar initiatives in the future. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.disabilityinnovation.com/news/tidal-accelerator |
| Description | TIDAL N+ launch event: Transformative Innovation in the delivery of Assisted Living Products and Services. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | TIDAL officially launched on 26th January 2022 with an online event joined by over 270 members of our community The kick-off meeting had speakers from national (e.g. Wendy Walkker, devices for dignity) and international (e.g. Chapal Khasnabis, World Helath Organization). The even sparked a number of interesting comments and discussion points on repair, supply-cahins and regulation. We had over 100 people sign up for project updates following the event. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.disabilityinnovation.com/webinars/tidal-n-launch-event-transformative-innovation-in-the-... |
| Description | TIDAL YouTube video playlist |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | We set up a TIDAL playlist within the GDI Hub YouTube channel to bring together and focus attention on the videos produced by the TIDAL project. These include the videos made by the PIs of our 9 feasibility projects about their work, as well as recordings of online TIDAL events and webinars. The aim is to disseminate our work to a wider audience than the usual academic audiences. The audiences actually reached (as indicated above) is a bit of a guess as it's not possible to monitor these accurately on YouTube, but it's reasonable to assume that these kinds of audiences would be interested in our work and find it through their searches for relevant content. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZi_mzfbwvfbAmTMzrmSNF209hD1ASHEj |
| Description | TIDAL feasibility project presentation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A webinar for anyone interested in current interdisciplinary research relating to the development and improvement of assistive technologies. I allwed people to find out about 1. The winning projects from our recent TIDAL N+ feasibility funding calls, how they will help to transform assistive technology, and contribute to our vision of innovative, sustainable and equitable AT, both physical and digital. 2. Thenew feasibility researchers who were awarded TIDAL grants through our recent funding calls will introduce the research and engineering challenges they'll be tackling, what they hope to achieve, and why it matters. 3. Interdisciplinary research relating to the development and improvement of assistive technologies, this meeting will give you an insight into where some of the latest lines of research inquiry are heading in the fields of AT-related Responsible Engineering; Digital Design and Manufacturing; and Sensors, Data Science and Communication Aids. Webinar attracted: 205 people representing 148 institutions including academic, clinical, voluntary, advocacy, industry; 76 people from UK and the others from 39 countries spanning Europe, Asia, Africa, South and North America. Speakers: Dr Michael Berthaume - LSBU: how an affordable, flexible prosthetic socket could reduce waste, CO2 & abandonment. Project title: An affordable and flexible prosthetic socket Leen Jabban - Bath University: how the Internet of Things (IoT) combined with a person-based approach could enable co-creation of AT & better meet user needs. Project title: A Person Based Approach to the Development of Upper Limb Prostheses (Dr Benjamin Metcalfe / Leen Jabban) Dr Nicola Bailey - Bath University: how could capturing patient data remotely for custom design of prosthetic sockets improve access to prosthetics & care for amputees? Project title: Remote capture of patient data for bespoke socket design (Dr Nicola Bailey / Dr Elena Seminati) Dr Ben Oldfrey - UCL: designing novel materials & matching repair strategies to maximize the potential of digital prosthetic manufacture while minimizing the climate impact. Project title: Algorithmic design of functionally graded prosthetic liners Dr Timothy Whitehead - Aston University: creating a low-cost, bespoke rugby wheelchair using recycled plastic and the latest distributed manufacturing to open up the sport for people in LMICs. Project title: Bespoke entry-level Wheelchair Rugby chairs through Advanced Distributed Manufacturing Jonathan Howard - Swansea Bay University Health Board: Developing a blueprint for a better, cheaper, faster user-centred co-design process for personalised assistive tech with Jonathan Howard. Project title: Improving the efficiency of co-designing personalised assistive technology through utilising digital design and manufacturing systems Dr Duncan Williams - Salford University: music generally sounds pretty bad through hearing aids because they're optimised for speech. Can we make music sound better for hearing aid-wearers by using feedback from wearable sensor data to tweek and personalise sound to individual needs? Project title: Exploiting wearable sensors for improved communication of music via hearing aids and consumer devices Dr Matthew Dyson - Newcastle University: exploring the properties and applications for a new photonic muscle-sensing device: what does it actually measure, does it work with different skin tones, and what does this mean for how it might be used in assistive technologies? Project title: Physiological validation of a novel photonic biosensor |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.ucl.ac.uk/tidal-assistive-tech/events/webinar-current-themes-research-introducing-tidal-... |
| Description | TIDAL repair workshop (P&O) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Aims Mapping the system We want to understand what repair means to different people, to build a clearer picture of how these perspectives intersect, and what the value of repair is to each stakeholder. This will enable us to begin to map the actions required and the value of repair across different parts of the system: before we can theorise about solutions, we need to understand the status quo better. Consensus building We want to identify future research directions and what actions could be taken to improve the place of repair in the system. We aim to produce a perspective article or blog post based on the discussions that take place. Building a repair community From these events we hope to develop, as a community, both a long-term vision for repair and some clear, tangible next steps we could take to get there. This community will continue beyond the workshops, as mechanism to bridge expertise and collaboratively advocate for the importance of repair and maintenance across the AT space. Content In these workshops we will explore repair as a system activity. We will begin with short talks from a range of perspectives on repair. These sessions will be interactive, with an opportunity to ask questions and discuss the issues. There will also be breakout sessions in the afternoon with topical roundtables. Participants will be actively encouraged to share their knowledge, experience and reflections on the talks and related issues, with the intention of developing some next steps on what we can do. Who are these events for? We would love you to join us if you have an interest in or knowledge/experience of the following. Professionals, repair enthusiasts and AT users are all welcome: • Repairable assistive product design • Current NHS clinic-led service models of repair of AT • Current private clinic-led service models of repair of AT • Current clinic-led service models of repair of AT • Informal community-based repair strategies for AT • Repair focused initiatives and approaches from other sectors that could be applied to AT • The move to product-service systems • The impact of repairs on users and/or clinicians • Relevant AT repair work in LMICs that we might learn from • Any other related area of research or practice We would particularly encourage the following to attend: • Users of assistive technology • Clinicians, health professionals and other service providers • Manufacturers • Designers / engineers • Repair enthusiasts / members of the grassroots repair community • Start-ups interested in incorporating repair-focused strategies • Academics working on repair of AT, or circular economy topics • Representatives across the value chain Agenda 09.30 to 10.00 Arrival and refreshments 10.00 to 10.15 Welcome and introduction - Laurence Kenney/Ben Oldfrey 10.15 to 10.30 Mark Miodownik (UCL Institute of Making) "The Big Repair Project" 10.30 to 10.45 Pranay Kumar (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology) "The environmental imperative for medical device design" 10.45 to 11.00 Sibylle Thies (University of Salford) "Why do walking aids get lost in the system?" 11.00 to 11.15 Sam Simpson (Exceed Research Network) "Repair of prosthetic devices - the Cambodia experience" 11.15 to 11.30 Promise Maduako (Legs4Africa) "Legs4Africa (Sand), Our ATs Repair Journey" 11.30 to 11.45 Refreshments & networking 11.45 to 12.00 Vikranth Nagaraja (University of Salford) "Comparing repair practices of upper-limb prosthetics in the United Kingdom and India" 12.00 to 12.15 Lesley Davidson (University of Salford) "Only if the User Complies' - Repair & Maintenance in Myoelectric User Manuals" 12.15 to 12.30 Angus Clarke (Imperial College) "Designing for repairability: Novel LMIC prosthesis suspension systems" 12.30 to 12.45 Ben Oldfrey (UCL) "Repair of prosthetic socket liners" 12.45 to 13.00 Samantha Curtin (University of Salford) "Priorities when designing a service-focused delivery model for mobility devices" 13.00 to 13:15 Runbei Cheng (University of Oxford) "A Consensus Survey for a Free-access Prosthetic Provision and Repair Registry" 13.15 to 14.00 Lunch & networking 14.00 to 14.45 Breakout 1 : Data & Repair; Methods of Repair; Impact of Repair 14.45 to 14.55 Change-over time to allow time to move between 2nd floor and 3rd floor breakout rooms 14.55 to 15.40 Breakout 2 : System Issues & Policy; International Connections; NHS Clinical Challenges 15.40 to 16.00 Refreshments and networking 16.00 to 17.00 Breakout report backs/plenary discussion - Visioning the future & short/medium/long term goals to achieve 17.00 Close Richard Bibb represented both TIDAL N+ and ReMed (Circular Economy for Small Medical Devices) projects providing opportunities for links between the projects. Feedback: 'I have had a wonderful time at the workshop, as much as I contributed my points, I have learnt so much as well. It was a pleasure to meet Ben and other researchers.' Selvakumar 'I had an incredible experience at the Tidal Workshop. The sessions were highly engaging and offered deep insights into the topic. The break-out rooms and expert-led discussions improved my understanding and left me inspired about the potential of prosthetic devices. Overall, it was an enriching and enjoyable workshop. I even found new ideas for my own research project! I am looking forward to the next workshop on Wheelchairs. Can't wait!' Mahuba 'Device repair is an important, but often under-represented, topic in Prosthetics and Orthotics (P&O) and Assistive Technology in general. For P&O education and service providers, like Exceed Worldwide, device repair is important in the context of teaching, service provision and economics; for device users it is important in terms of device functionality and quality of life. It was, therefore, good to attend an event that focused squarely on repair as a core issue, brought together such a diverse range of speakers, looked at different aspects of the topic and identified priorities for future work.' Sam Simpson, Head of Research and Development, Exceed Worldwide |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.disabilityinnovation.com/events/ap-workshop |
| Description | TIDAL repair workshop (Wheelchairs) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Consensus Workshop on Wheelchair Repair 21st June 2024, UCL The climate crisis and concerns about environmental sustainability have led to a huge increase in recycling. However, while recycling may recover raw materials used to produce a product, the considerable value added to products through design and manufacture is lost. This represents a major financial and environmental cost, which has focused attention on the importance of repairing existing products: a range of initiatives have been introduced at the enthusiast and community levels, within the larger economy, and at the policy level. The Right to Repair is being implemented in a growing number of countries. However, the repair of assistive technologies (AT) presents a number of particularly challenging issues for industry, commissioners, and users which are not adequately addressed by current repair strategies. Repair has to be connected with a whole system of production and regulation. It a very complex issue to address effectively: no one actor can achieve what is needed. This is a problem not only for the environment. It also represents a huge barrier to optimising the provision of assistive products. This was the second of two full-day, in person workshops to explore these issues in relation to different types of AT. We want to understand what repair means to different people, and to collaboratively build a clearer picture of how these perspectives intersect, and what the value of repair is to each stakeholder. This will enable us to begin to map the actions required and the value of repair across different parts of the system: before we can theorise about solutions, we need to understand the status quo better. We want to identify future research directions and what actions could be taken to improve the place of repair in the system. We will explore repair as a system activity. We will begin with short talks from a range of perspectives on repair. These sessions will be interactive, with an opportunity to ask questions and discuss the issues. There will also be breakout sessions in the afternoon with topical roundtables. Participants will be actively encouraged to share their knowledge, experience and reflections on the talks and related issues, with the intention of developing some next steps on what we can do. From these events we hope to develop, as a community, both a long term vision for repair and some clear, tangible next steps we could take to get there. Richard Bibb represented both TIDAL N+ and ReMed (Circular Economy for Small Medical Devices) projects providing opportunities for links between the projects. Agenda for Wheelchair Repair workshop 21st June 2024 held at UCL, London. 09.30 to 10.00 Arrival and refreshments 10.00 to 10.15 Welcome and introduction - Laurence Kenney, Ben Oldfrey 10.15 to 10.30 Keoke King, Participant Assistive Products 10.30 to 10.45 Dr Selvakumar Ramachandran, Kerckhoffs Ltd. 10.45 to 11.00 Mark Miodownik and Danielle Purkiss, UCL, 'The Big Repair Project' 11.00 to 11.15 Richard Stubbs, NHS Wales, 'Advocating for the Vital Right to Repair Medical Equipment' 11.15 to 11.45 Refreshments & networking 11.45 to 12.00 Juliette New, GS1, 'Optimising Assistive Products Repair using GS1 standards' 12.00 to 12.15 Pranay Arun Kumar, RMIT Melbourne, 'Open Source Medical Devices' 12.15 to 12.30 Charlie Chalmers, DEMAND, 'Design & Manufacture for Disability' 12.30 to 12.45 Eric Wunderlich & David William Nish, Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints, 'Wheelchair Repair in South Africa' 12.45 to 13.45 Lunch & networking 13.45 to 14.30 Breakouts 1 - Choose from: Data & Repair; Methods of Repair; Impact of Repair 14.30 to 14.45 Change-over time 14.45 to 15.30 Breakouts 2 - Choose from: System Issues & Policy; International Connections; NHS Clinical Challenges 15.30 to 16.00 Refreshments and networking 16.00 to 17.00 Breakout report backs/plenary discussion 17.00 Close Outcomes: TIDAL funded a follow-on project for an AT repair register: an open-access UK registry to help collect, organise, and share information about prosthetics provision and repairs, which are fragmented across different limb-fitting centres in a non-standardised manner. This would help us and others understand how to better design, repair and manage prosthetics, benefiting healthcare providers, service commissioners, prosthetics manufacturers and patients. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Videos |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | There is a section on our website https://www.ucl.ac.uk/tidal-assistive-tech/videos where we post videos of any events we have recorded, and videos made by our feasibility project PIs about their projects. These have collectively had 289 views to date. The are also hosted on the GDI Hub YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@GlobalDisabilityInnovationHub/videos |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.ucl.ac.uk/tidal-assistive-tech/videos |
| Description | Workshop on the theme of DMS (Digital Design and Manufacturing Systems) and Physical Devices |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This workshop took place on 22nd June 2022 (agenda setting) and 23rd June 2022 (collaboration). Like the previous workshop it was held online, so we weren't able to provide any opportunities for face to face networking, but we were able to respond to the other main suggestion from delegates to provide more input on the application process and preparing a bid.Attended by 30 people from 16 institutions and 7 potential partner organisations including commercial companies and third sector organisations.Speakers were:Paul Fotheringham, Founder and CTO of 3D LifePrints, a biomedical start-up, on the opportunities and challenges of digital manufacturing systems, including the need for manufacturing and quality control, and the implications of this for implementation.Prof Wendy Phillips, Director of the RiHN project on findings from the RiHN projects on the opportunities and challenges of digital manufacturing focusing on manufacture, supply chain, logistics and distribution.Dr Christopher Howell, RiHN Innovation lead on 'Redistributed manufacturing (RDM) in deployed medical operations (DMOs): Mapping the process'.Lynn Legg, Occupational Therapist on the users' perspective: 'Right AT. Right Patient. Right Time'.There were also sessions exploring the theme of the call and the kinds of proposals the team would be looking for; a discussion of the roles and value of multidisciplinary academic disciplines; what non-academic partners such as those from users, clinicians, industry, and other stakeholders can bring to a project partnership, in particular the new thinking that a diverse team can generate. Finally, there was a walk through of the application form, highlighting how to make the most of each section, and what reviewers would be looking for.Feedback on the workshop was very positive:'The online board and curated discussion around this and the relevance of certain themes which emerged was incredibly helpful when understanding the requirements of the call but also to help understand the broader challenges in the field of assistive devices.''A good and informative slide show, with all relevant details (about the funding call). The call for proposals was clearly aligned with the talks given and relevant stakeholders were present at the event.''This has given me great start in preparation.'There was still a desire for a face-to-face event which, as one delegate put it, can 'help with networking for newer members (and) so those attending get a feel for who is present and their experience.'The workshop led to 14 Expressions of Interest (10 from our first round of funding in Call 2, and 4 from our second round in Call 4), and 7 full applications with ideas ranging from automatic interpretation of full colour scans to reduce costs in the digital design of prostheses, to a methodology for embedding patient psychology and needs into a digital design and manufacturing process. Four projects were selected for funding:'Remote capture of patient data for bespoke socket design' led by Dr Nicola Bailey of Bath University: a project to develop methodology to remotely capture patient data for a custom socket design. This will alleviate the burden of travel, reduce costs and minimise time scales, whilst providing maximum effective care and removing many barriers to improve prosthetic access.'Algorithmic design of functionally graded prosthetic liners' led by Dr Ben Oldfrey of UCL: a project to develop new repairability or life-prolonging strategies for composite material structures enabled by additive manufacturing, which can replicate many advantageous structures found in biological tissues, but don't facilitate material recovery and standard sustainability strategies.'Bespoke entry-level Wheelchair Rugby chairs through Advanced Distributed Manufacturing' led by Timothy Whitehead, Aston University. Wheelchair rugby is a critical sport for people with disabilities to develop a sense of community, rehabilitate, and maintain an active lifestyle. However, in low-income countries, wheelchairs, especially sports chairs, are very expensive, and lack the bespoke customisation required for increased comfort and performance. This project will test a concept for a bespoke wheelchair which could be made using Additive Manufacturing, to overcome these issues'Improving the efficiency of co-designing personalised assistive technology through utilising digital design and manufacturing systems' led by Jonathan Howard, Swansea Bay University Healthboard. The goal of this project is to develop a blueprint for a digital design and manufacturing (DDM) clinical service. DDM will make the co-design process more time, cost and resource-efficient and support the sharing of designs with other clinicians and service users, helping to overcome associated barriers to AT use. This will increase the uptake of personalised AT production by clinicians, leading to improved AT designs and greater levels of patient empowerment. Recording: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj9kJmD_eD9AhXwQkEAHeKBCfoQFnoECA0QAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ucl.ac.uk%2Ftidal-assistive-tech%2Ffunding-calls%2Fcall-2-dms-digital-design-and-manufacturing-systems-and-physical-devices-closed&usg=AOvVaw1UbUl61oZinjUIi35fXQMe |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022,2023 |
| URL | https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj9kJmD_eD9A... |
| Description | Workshop on the theme of Responsible Engineering |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | It was attended by 43 delegates from 21 institutions and 5 potential partner companiesSpeakers were:Callum Watt, Knowledge Transfer Partnership Associate at NRS on 'Design, Manufacture and Distribution and Manufacture of Rehabilitation Aids'.Sinead Mitchell, Lecturer in Engineering, Researcher in Sustainable Engineering, National University of Ireland, Galway on 'Circular economy and future of healthcare manufacturing'.Arne Henning Eide, Acting Research Director, SINTEF Digital on 'A case study on the Norwegian AT system'.Mark Miodownik, Professor of Materials and Society, UCL and Director of the UCL Institute of Making on 'Plastics, Waste and the Circular Economy'. There were also sessions on Experimentation v Transformation and a speculative design workshop which together offered an approach to generating innovative ideas that do actually meet end user needs.Delegates responded very positively to the workshops:'The workshops were excellent, perfect mix of facts, examples and Q&A.''The workshop met the objectives very well.''I liked the overall structure and experience during the tasks in the webinar.''The workshop was structured well. The talks were interesting and the interactive part was very engaging.'There were also some suggestions for what they would have liked more of, that we took forward to our subsequent workshops, in particular more on the application process and preparing a bid, as well as opportunities for face to face networking with potential collaborators.The workshops generated 16 Expressions of Interest (15 from our first round of RE funding in Call 1 and another in the second round in Call 4), and 8 actual submissions, on ideas ranging from understanding and assessing abandonment, to improving the performance of prosthetics so that users actually want to use them.The two projects selected for funding were:'An affordable and flexible prosthetic socket' led by Dr Michael Berthaume of London SouthBank University: a project using co-design approaches and a team with expertise in design, sustainable economy, anthropology, mechanical engineering, and P&O (prosthetics and orthotics), to design a flexible, breathable prosthetic socket for use in low-resource settings. A flexible socket made from'locally available, reusable resources would reduce waste, carbon emissions, and aid in prosthetic use.'A Person Based Approach to the Development of Upper Limb Prostheses' led by Dr Benjamin Metcalfe from Bath University: a project to address the high abandonment rates for upper limb prosthesis due to the mismatch between user needs and device performance, by using an approach to technology development and evaluation that integrates the user as a key stakeholder into the research process, not just as a passive voice but as a true co-creator. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtVFJjgqeTg |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.ucl.ac.uk/tidal-assistive-tech/what-we-do/funding-calls/call-1-responsible-engineering/c... |
| Description | Workshop on the theme of Sensors, Data Science and Communication Aids |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | There was clearly a demand for face to face networking, so this workshop was held in person on 27th October 2022 at Loughborough University London.We brought together 26 delegates from 12 institutions and 8 potential partner organisations including commercial companies, start-ups and third sector organisations.Speakers were:Dr Daniel Hajas, UCL / GDI Hub, on the challenges of innovation in this space from his perspective as an innovator and AT user.Dr Aleksandra Vuckovic, Glasgow University, on the research challenges relating to the development of Brain-Computer Interface systems.Dr Youngjun Cho, UCL Interaction Centre, on the next generation of artificial intelligence-powered physiological computing for disability technology innovation.Professor Trevor Cox, Salford University, on machine learning challenges to improve hearing aids and audio devices for people with a hearing loss.There were additional sessions on collaboration and the application process as for the DMS workshop as delegates had reported finding these very helpful. There was face to face networking over coffee on arrival, during the breaks and an additional hour long session after the formal agenda was over.Feedback'It was a great day and very helpful.''The workshop was very enlightening, the key talks and the networking was really good.''An amazing event.''I was able to know the theme of program and get an insight into research challenges. I was able to know the proposal requirements and success parameters. I came across wonderful people and knowing their diverse background increase the enthusiasm for my research.'"A comprehensive introduction and thought provoking talks. Great opportunities for discussion and workshopping with other attendees. Plenty of time for Q&A.''The event was well organized and executed.''I came as an industry contact (who has delivered lectures at Loughborough for their MA/industry collaboration module) and as a disabled end user-to make contacts in academia and hear your aims and objectives and I was very well served.''I was happy with the workshop and met some interesting new people.''The event was well organised. The team running the event maintained a good atmosphere throughout. As a consequence, networking happened very naturally, which doesn't normally seem to be the case for these events. The travel directions and proactive "prompt emails" just before the event were excellent and showed real attention to detail. The talks were a good mix and introduced research challenges that were completely new to me.''I look forward to deepening our collaborations on products and projects.'Suggestions included:'I'd love more opportunities to meet as a community, not only focused on the funding calls, but to discuss the areas where we need to innovate and finding ways to work together.'The workshop gave rise to 19 Expressions of Interest and 11 actual submissions for projects on themes ranging from smart prosthetic design to using Ai in cochlea implants.2 projects were selected for funding: (fill these in)'Towards improved communication of music via hearing aids and consumer devices exploiting wearable sensors', led by Duncan Williams, Salford University - a project to address the poor performance of hearing aids for music. Speech dominates the development and fitting of hearing aids, yet music is a vital part of being human, bringing people together and improving health and wellbeing in many ways. The project will use feedback from wearable sensors to improve and individualise the reproduction of music.'Physiological validation of a novel photonic biosensor', led by Matthew Dyson, Newcastle University. In this project, an engineer will collaborate with a clinical musculoskeletal specialist to test the characteristics of a low cost photonic sensor with potential applications in a variety of AT. This will include testing the performance of the sensor with different skin tones, which is very timely following the revelation during the Covid pandemic that pulse oximetry sensors often don't work with darker skin tones and may give false readings. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |