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)
- University College London (Collaboration)
- Newcastle University (Collaboration)
- London South Bank University (Collaboration)
- University of Bath (Collaboration)
- ASTON UNIVERSITY (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD (Collaboration)
- Swansea Bay University Health Board (Collaboration)
- Int Res Ctr on Artificial Intelligence (Project Partner)
- Amparo GmbH (Project Partner)
- 3D LifePrints (Project Partner)
- Good Things Foundation (Project Partner)
- World Health Organization (Project Partner)
- Int Society for Prosthetics & Orthotics (Project Partner)
- Brink Innovation Limited (Project Partner)
- Motivation (Project Partner)
- Agile Ageing Alliance (AAA) (Project Partner)
- Ace Centre (Project Partner)
- Devices for Dignity (Project Partner)
| 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 | 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 |
| 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 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 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 | 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 |