emPOWER: in-body artificial muscles for physical augmentation, function restoration, patient empowerment and future healthcare
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Bristol
Department Name: Engineering Mathematics and Technology
Abstract
Muscles help us move, enable us to interact with objects and the environment, and regulate critical internal functions. Unfortunately, they are susceptible to damage due to disease, ageing and trauma and are a central factor in diverse serious healthcare conditions including sarcopenia (age-related loss of muscle mass and function, where decline in muscle mass between 40 and 80 years ranges from 30% to 50%), stroke, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, soft-tissue cancers, venous ulceration, diabetes, degenerative myopathy and incontinence (between 3 and 6 million people in the UK, and 24% of older people, suffer from urinary incontinence).
The emPower Transformative Healthcare Technologies 2050 programme will overcome the limitations of current wearable assistive technologies and regenerative medicine by deploying engineered robotic artificial muscular assistance inside the body, exactly where it is needed, to: 1. restore strength and control in mobility and manipulation in older people who have lost muscle strength and precision; and 2. restore controllable muscular capabilities for sufferers of trauma, stroke, incontinence and degenerative diseases. This will have significant knock-on effects on whole-body and mind health through increased confidence, independence and quality of life, massively reducing the healthcare burden and facilitating the return of sufferers to productive and fulfilling lives.
The emPOWER artificial muscles will be engineered to bridge the gap between the nanoscale of fundamental energy transduction phenomena and the centimetre scale of bulk muscle action, and will be implantable using minimally invasive (including robot-assisted) surgery and advanced imaging to replace or supplement ailing muscles, providing short-term rehabilitation, long-term assistance or complete functional restoration as needed.
To achieve our vision, we have brought together leading experts in soft robotics, regenerative medicine, bio-interfacing, smart structures, synthetic biology, polymer chemistry, self-assembly, bio-printing and tissue analysis, and clinical partners in neuro-rehabilitation, cardiovascular disease, head and neck surgery, urology, geriatrics and musculoskeletal medicine. Together, and with key industrial and social care partners, we will deliver the foundational technologies and first-stage proof-of-concept of the emPOWER artificial muscles within the five years of this transformative project, leading to major healthcare, economic and social impact to 2050 and beyond.
The emPower Transformative Healthcare Technologies 2050 programme will overcome the limitations of current wearable assistive technologies and regenerative medicine by deploying engineered robotic artificial muscular assistance inside the body, exactly where it is needed, to: 1. restore strength and control in mobility and manipulation in older people who have lost muscle strength and precision; and 2. restore controllable muscular capabilities for sufferers of trauma, stroke, incontinence and degenerative diseases. This will have significant knock-on effects on whole-body and mind health through increased confidence, independence and quality of life, massively reducing the healthcare burden and facilitating the return of sufferers to productive and fulfilling lives.
The emPOWER artificial muscles will be engineered to bridge the gap between the nanoscale of fundamental energy transduction phenomena and the centimetre scale of bulk muscle action, and will be implantable using minimally invasive (including robot-assisted) surgery and advanced imaging to replace or supplement ailing muscles, providing short-term rehabilitation, long-term assistance or complete functional restoration as needed.
To achieve our vision, we have brought together leading experts in soft robotics, regenerative medicine, bio-interfacing, smart structures, synthetic biology, polymer chemistry, self-assembly, bio-printing and tissue analysis, and clinical partners in neuro-rehabilitation, cardiovascular disease, head and neck surgery, urology, geriatrics and musculoskeletal medicine. Together, and with key industrial and social care partners, we will deliver the foundational technologies and first-stage proof-of-concept of the emPOWER artificial muscles within the five years of this transformative project, leading to major healthcare, economic and social impact to 2050 and beyond.
Planned Impact
emPOWER will generate major impact through the following pathways:
Impact on patients: emPOWER will deliver disruptive healthcare technologies for patients with muscle dysfunction across a range of conditions including sarcopenia, stroke, muscular dystrophy, venous ulceration, diabetes, degenerative myopathy and incontinence. This will result in improved quality of life, restoration of independence and reduced healthcare costs.
Impact through patient involvement: Patient representatives will be a core component of emPOWER and will be recruited to focus groups at project start, and as members of the Independent Advisory Board. We will work closely with Health Integration Teams to engage with patient groups and patient representatives in age-related muscle dysfunction, ENT dysfunction and incontinence.
Impact on Healthcare Professionals and implementation into clinical practice: The project team includes clinical partners in movement disorders, orthopaedic surgery, ENT, vascular, urinary and geriatrics. The embedding of clinical expertise in the emPOWER programme will ensure the project team has a deep understanding of patient and clinical needs and emPOWER technologies are fit for implementation in the clinical environment.
Impact to 2050: emPOWER will develop fundamental healthcare technologies and demonstrate proof-of-concept systems for sarcopenia and urinary incompetence, laying the foundations for a comprehensive programme of translation, spin-out, follow-on funding and regulation. This will place emPOWER technologies in widespread use by 2050. To achieve this, we will leverage applications for funding through multiple routes, including NIHR I4I, MRC DPFS, Wellcome Trust Translation Fund and, with industrial partners, UK and direct commercial funding.
Accelerated translation: In its first 5 years, emPOWER will develop the foundational technologies for bio-mechanical enhancement and restoration and neuro-interfacing. These will generate accelerated impact from the start, including: 1. Wearable artificial muscles for power augmentation, rehabilitation for older people and following stroke; and 2. Bio-interfacing including needle-free glucose sensing for diabetes, infection sensing and smart bandages. We will identify and manage spin-out technologies with core and new project partners.
Industry collaboration and Commercialisation: We will work closely with the University of Bristol's Research Commercialisation Manager to identify, protect and exploit IP. We expect to license emPOWER technologies, including to our project partners, Zimmer Biomet, Olympus Medical, Renishaw, Cellink and Aspect Biosystems.
Impact on people: emPOWER will train a cohort of PDRAs, PhD students and rising star researchers in the field of muscle function restoration, pump-priming the next generation of research leaders that will take emPOWER concepts through to 2050 and beyond. They will be guided in their career development by personal mentors and will be encouraged to develop research independence through the flexible research fund and by leading the emPOWER Workshops and public engagement events.
Impact on the public: Through a programme of patient and public engagement we will ensure that developments are communicated widely, and that public opinion is gathered and considered. This will be aided by our ethics study which will lay the groundwork for emPOWER stakeholder and policymaker engagement. Targeted public engagement events include the Royal Society Summer Exhibition, TEDx, Bluedot and Pint of Science.
Global impact: We have partnered with leading international research groups across metamaterials, soft robotics, biomaterials and tissue implantation in Harvard, Tokyo, Tufts, UC Davis and TU Delft. Through a programme of research visits, exchanges and joint events, including the emPOWER workshops, our partners provide a powerful route to international collaboration, and truly global scientific development.
Impact on patients: emPOWER will deliver disruptive healthcare technologies for patients with muscle dysfunction across a range of conditions including sarcopenia, stroke, muscular dystrophy, venous ulceration, diabetes, degenerative myopathy and incontinence. This will result in improved quality of life, restoration of independence and reduced healthcare costs.
Impact through patient involvement: Patient representatives will be a core component of emPOWER and will be recruited to focus groups at project start, and as members of the Independent Advisory Board. We will work closely with Health Integration Teams to engage with patient groups and patient representatives in age-related muscle dysfunction, ENT dysfunction and incontinence.
Impact on Healthcare Professionals and implementation into clinical practice: The project team includes clinical partners in movement disorders, orthopaedic surgery, ENT, vascular, urinary and geriatrics. The embedding of clinical expertise in the emPOWER programme will ensure the project team has a deep understanding of patient and clinical needs and emPOWER technologies are fit for implementation in the clinical environment.
Impact to 2050: emPOWER will develop fundamental healthcare technologies and demonstrate proof-of-concept systems for sarcopenia and urinary incompetence, laying the foundations for a comprehensive programme of translation, spin-out, follow-on funding and regulation. This will place emPOWER technologies in widespread use by 2050. To achieve this, we will leverage applications for funding through multiple routes, including NIHR I4I, MRC DPFS, Wellcome Trust Translation Fund and, with industrial partners, UK and direct commercial funding.
Accelerated translation: In its first 5 years, emPOWER will develop the foundational technologies for bio-mechanical enhancement and restoration and neuro-interfacing. These will generate accelerated impact from the start, including: 1. Wearable artificial muscles for power augmentation, rehabilitation for older people and following stroke; and 2. Bio-interfacing including needle-free glucose sensing for diabetes, infection sensing and smart bandages. We will identify and manage spin-out technologies with core and new project partners.
Industry collaboration and Commercialisation: We will work closely with the University of Bristol's Research Commercialisation Manager to identify, protect and exploit IP. We expect to license emPOWER technologies, including to our project partners, Zimmer Biomet, Olympus Medical, Renishaw, Cellink and Aspect Biosystems.
Impact on people: emPOWER will train a cohort of PDRAs, PhD students and rising star researchers in the field of muscle function restoration, pump-priming the next generation of research leaders that will take emPOWER concepts through to 2050 and beyond. They will be guided in their career development by personal mentors and will be encouraged to develop research independence through the flexible research fund and by leading the emPOWER Workshops and public engagement events.
Impact on the public: Through a programme of patient and public engagement we will ensure that developments are communicated widely, and that public opinion is gathered and considered. This will be aided by our ethics study which will lay the groundwork for emPOWER stakeholder and policymaker engagement. Targeted public engagement events include the Royal Society Summer Exhibition, TEDx, Bluedot and Pint of Science.
Global impact: We have partnered with leading international research groups across metamaterials, soft robotics, biomaterials and tissue implantation in Harvard, Tokyo, Tufts, UC Davis and TU Delft. Through a programme of research visits, exchanges and joint events, including the emPOWER workshops, our partners provide a powerful route to international collaboration, and truly global scientific development.
Organisations
- University of Bristol (Lead Research Organisation)
- Zimmer Biomet (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Bristol City Council (Project Partner)
- Aspect Biosystems Ltd (Project Partner)
- Renishaw (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- CELLiNK (Project Partner)
- Olympus Surgical Technologies Europe (Project Partner)
Publications
Abeywickrama D
(2023)
Soft Gripping: Specifying for Trustworthiness
Akiyama N
(2023)
Tubular nanomaterials for bone tissue engineering.
in Journal of materials chemistry. B
Bansal R
(2023)
Self-reconfiguring Soft Modular Cellbots
Callens SJP
(2023)
Emergent collective organization of bone cells in complex curvature fields.
in Nature communications
Castro B
(2021)
Modular simulation framework for Electro-ribbon Actuators
Chen H
(2023)
GelBat: An Edible Gelatin-Based Battery
Chong J
(2022)
Electro-Ribbon Muscles for Biomimetic Wing Flapping
Correia Carreira S
(2021)
FleXert: A Soft, Actuatable Multiwell Plate Insert for Cell Culture under Stretch
in ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering
Diteesawat RS
(2021)
Electro-pneumatic pumps for soft robotics.
in Science robotics
Diteesawat RS
(2021)
Characteristic Analysis and Design Optimization of Bubble Artificial Muscles.
in Soft robotics
Fan W
(2023)
Digital Twin-Driven Mixed Reality Framework for Immersive Teleoperation With Haptic Rendering
in IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters
Fishman A
(2022)
Mixing in arrays of villi-like actuators
in Physics of Fluids
Garrad M
(2021)
Liquid Metal Logic for Soft Robotics
in IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters
Garrad M
(2022)
Design and Characterisation of a Muscle-Mimetic Dielectrophoretic Ratcheting Actuator
in IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters
Garrad M
(2021)
An all soft, electro-pneumatic controller for soft robots
Georgiev D
(2024)
RamanSPy: An Open-Source Python Package for Integrative Raman Spectroscopy Data Analysis.
in Analytical chemistry
Giannaccini M
(2023)
A Bioinspired Active Robotic Simulator of the Human Respiratory System
in IEEE Transactions on Medical Robotics and Bionics
Gosden D
(2022)
Saltwater-responsive bubble artificial muscles using superabsorbent polymers.
in Frontiers in robotics and AI
Gosden D
(2023)
Material extrusion of sodium polyacrylate superabsorbent polymer
in Additive Manufacturing
Gough E
(2021)
Planning for a Tight Squeeze: Navigation of Morphing Soft Robots in Congested Environments
in IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters
Hagemann MJL
(2024)
High-Performance Dopamine-Based Supramolecular Bio-Adhesives.
in Macromolecular rapid communications
Haynes A
(2021)
FeelMusic: Enriching Our Emotive Experience of Music through Audio-Tactile Mappings
in Multimodal Technologies and Interaction
Haynes AC
(2022)
A calming hug: Design and validation of a tactile aid to ease anxiety.
in PloS one
Helps T
(2022)
Liquid-amplified zipping actuators for micro-air vehicles with transmission-free flapping.
in Science robotics
Helps Tim
(2022)
Liquid-amplified zipping actuators for micro-air vehicles with transmission-free flapping
in SCIENCE ROBOTICS
Ho E
(2023)
Mechanical behaviour and pore morphology of functionally graded alumina preforms and their composites
in Journal of the European Ceramic Society
Hoh S
(2021)
Electro-lattice actuator: a compliant high-contractile active lattice structure
in Smart Materials and Structures
Ishak MI
(2023)
Enhanced and Stem-Cell-Compatible Effects of Nature-Inspired Antimicrobial Nanotopography and Antimicrobial Peptides to Combat Implant-Associated Infection.
in ACS applied nano materials
Ishak MI
(2024)
Nanotextured titanium inhibits bacterial activity and supports cell growth on 2D and 3D substrate: A co-culture study.
in Biomaterials advances
Jenkinson G
(2023)
ESPRESS.0: Eustachian Tube-Inspired Tactile Sensor Exploiting Pneumatics for Range Extension and SenSitivity Tuning
in Sensors
Jiang P
(2024)
Towards sensory substitution and augmentation: Mapping visual distance to audio and tactile frequency.
in PloS one
Karatayeva U
(2024)
Conjugated Microporous Polymers for Catalytic CO2 Conversion.
in Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)
Li Q
(2022)
Biobased and Programmable Electroadhesive Metasurfaces
in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
Maxwell J
(2022)
Controlled Removal of Organic Dyes from Aqueous Systems Using Porous Cross-Linked Conjugated Polyanilines
in ACS Applied Polymer Materials
Morris L
(2023)
The-state-of-the-art of soft robotics to assist mobility: a review of physiotherapist and patient identified limitations of current lower-limb exoskeletons and the potential soft-robotic solutions
in Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation
Morris L
(2022)
User perspectives on the future of mobility assistive devices: Understanding users' assistive device experiences and needs
in Journal of Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies Engineering
Narzary B
(2023)
Selective CO 2 Electroreduction from Tuneable Naphthalene-Based Porous Polyimide Networks
in Advanced Materials
Narzary B
(2021)
Crosslinked porous polyimides: structure, properties and applications
in Polymer Chemistry
Qi Q
(2023)
Edible, optically modulating, shape memory oleogel composites for sustainable soft robotics
in Materials & Design
Rossiter J
(2021)
Soft robotics: the route to true robotic organisms
in Artificial Life and Robotics
Simons M
(2021)
B:Ionic Glove: A Soft Smart Wearable Sensory Feedback Device for Upper Limb Robotic Prostheses
in IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters
Description | We have developed a suit of new technologies for implantable artificial muscles, including new multi-physics actuation principles, novel tissue adhesives and graded stiffness materials that can smoothly transition from bone-like to muscle-like stiffness. These lay the foundation for the next two years where we plan to develop in-vitro demonstrators of complete implantable artificial muscles for urinary incontinence and mobility. |
Exploitation Route | The emPOWER technologies are expected to have use widely beyond the core application of implantable artificial muscles, for example using bio-adhesives for other surgical procedures, using new artificial muscle actuators in non-medical applications, and translating our control systems to wearable exosuits for physical assistance. |
Sectors | Healthcare |
Description | The first three years of this 5-year programme grant have focused on developing the fundamental actuation, biointerfacing and control technologies for implantable muscles. We are now at the stage of publishing these breakthroughs (including new actuation and graded-stiffness materials) and transitioning into parallel demonstration device development. Note that clinical impact from the new technologies developed on the emPOWER project is expected to take some years, with clinical prevalence of implantable artificial muscles by 2050. However, we are aiming for accelerated impact in the two focused areas of urinary incontinence and age-related muscle weakness, with consequent impact within 5-10 years. |
First Year Of Impact | 2024 |
Sector | Healthcare |
Impact Types | Societal |
Description | Proof of Concept (Invitation Only) 3 |
Amount | £50,000 (GBP) |
Funding ID | PoC2223-25 |
Organisation | Royal Academy of Engineering |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2023 |
End | 01/2024 |
Description | Towards DPFS - low level safety sentinel for the ITV implantable anti-aspiration device |
Amount | £82,114 (GBP) |
Organisation | Medical Research Council (MRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2023 |
End | 01/2024 |
Title | Data for 2024 Nature Communications - sliding suction |
Description | Tianqi Yue, Hermes Bloomfield-Gadêlha and Jonathan Rossiter, Snail-inspired Water-enhanced Soft Sliding Suction for Climbing Robots, Nature Communications, 2024 |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2024 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://data.bris.ac.uk/data/dataset/1zdz8b5iw6f662pqwqf4kh8r55/ |
Title | Data for AFM dielectrophoretic gel |
Description | Included here are data to support the paper: Ciqun Xu, Charl F. J. Faul, Majid Taghavi, and Jonathan Rossiter, Electric Field-driven Dielectrophoretic Elastomer Actuators, Advanced Functional Materials (2023), DOI:10.1002/adfm.202208943 |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2023 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://data.bris.ac.uk/data/dataset/239k7m1nddrq72vaxbsfis2mf8/ |
Title | Data for AFM graded stiffness gel paper |
Description | Included here are data to support the paper: M. Taghavi, H.Y. C, A. T. Conn, J. Rossiter, Stiffness Graded Electroactive Artificial Muscle. Advanced Functional Materials (2022). |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://data.bris.ac.uk/data/dataset/2zbvg07b3mb7l22irr6a3u2axr/ |
Title | Data for AM printing sodium polyacrylate |
Description | This repository contains data pertaining to the article: Daniel Gosden, Matthew Studley, and Jonathan Rossiter, Material extrusion of sodium polyacrylate superabsorbent polymer, Additive Manufacturing, 2023 (doi: 10.1016/j.addma.2023.103886). |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2023 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://data.bris.ac.uk/data/dataset/1t0knt8vya7ii2if77c493w942/ |
Title | Data for DLZ ratchet paper - ICRA-RAL 2022 |
Description | Included here are data to support the paper: M. Garrad, M. Naghavi Zadeh, C. Romero, F. Scarpa, A.Conn, and J. Rossiter, Design and Characterisation of a Muscle-mimetic Dielectrophoretic Ratcheting Actuator IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (2022). |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://data.bris.ac.uk/data/dataset/1ctw36cjsr16e279g3qlwy792l/ |
Title | Data for Electro-Lattice Actuator paper |
Description | Data to support the results reported in "Electro-Lattice Actuator: a compliant high-contractile active lattice structure", published in 'Smart materials and Structures'. Authors: Sam Hoh, Tim Helps, Richard Suphapol Diteesawat, Majid Taghavi and Jonathan Rossiter |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2021 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://data.bris.ac.uk/data/dataset/n08fth26gqjn2txmgx2e04q75/ |
Title | Data for GelBat paper - RoboSoft 2023 |
Description | Included here are data to support the paper: H.Y. Chen, A. Keller, A. T. Conn, J. Rossiter. GelBat: An Edible Gelatin-Based Battery. RoboSoft (2023). |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2023 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://data.bris.ac.uk/data/dataset/2c4017s8543i2od5qdx3osoqd/ |
Title | Data for ICRA 2023 - variable stiffness unit |
Description | Data for ICRA2023 paper: Tianqi Yue, Tsam Lung You, Hemma Philamore, Hermes Bloomfield-Gadêlha and Jonathan Rossiter, A Silicone-sponge-based Variable-stiffness Device, 2023 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2023 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://data.bris.ac.uk/data/dataset/1m1aqxh299w2j20l7i8umgqwct/ |
Title | Data for PlosOne - Mapping visual distance to frequency |
Description | Included here are data to support the paper: Pingping Jiang, Christopher Kent and Jonathan Rossiter, Towards sensory substitution and augmentation: Mapping visual distance to audio and tactile frequency, PLOS ONE, 2024 |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2024 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://data.bris.ac.uk/data/dataset/139evj2hnuytu2uvaf4lj5a455/ |
Title | Data for Robo-Squid paper - RoboSoft 2023 |
Description | Data for paper: S. Firouznia, C. Xu, H. Philamore, J. Rossiter, Robo-Squid: Experimental investigation of pulsed jet propulsion based on magnetohydrodynamics, 2023 6th IEEE-RAS International Conference on Soft Robotics (ROBOSOFT) |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2023 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://data.bris.ac.uk/data/dataset/xfg77nkkatek2qqv8vz15qw30/ |
Title | Data for RoboSoft2022 - soft exosuit |
Description | Data supporting paper: Emanuele Pulvirenti, Richard Diteesawat, Helmut Hauser, Jonathan Rossiter, Towards a Soft Exosuit for Hypogravity adaptation: Design and Control of Lightweight Bubble Artificial Muscles, Proceedings of the 2022 IEEE Conference on Soft Robotics, RoboSoft 2022. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://data.bris.ac.uk/data/dataset/11gbyp96cqskc2mfjq2wwpaizt/ |
Title | Data for SAP-BAM paper |
Description | This repository contains data pertaining to the article: Saltwater-responsive bubble artificial muscles using superabsorbent polymers, Daniel Gosden, Richard Suphapol Diteesawat, Matthew Studley and Jonathan Rossiter, Frontiers in Robotics and AI, 2022, doi: 10.3389/frobt.2022.960372. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://data.bris.ac.uk/data/dataset/2raladk8u6pqu23o1jyc5rueeu/ |
Title | Data for Scissor paper - RA-L RoboSoft 2022 |
Description | Data supporting paper: Soft Scissor: A Cartilage-inspired, Pneumatic Artificial Muscle for Wearable Devices Nahian Rahman, Richard Suphapol Diteesawat, Sam Hoh, Leah Morris, Ailie Turton, Mary Cramp, Jonathan Rossiter Robotics and Autonomy Letters and Proc. RoboSoft 2022. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://data.bris.ac.uk/data/dataset/7z74iw9bxt4m26ulyqxrhvi58/ |
Title | Data for high frequency TCP actuators |
Description | Data for paper: T.L. You, J. Rossiter, H. Philamore, Robotic Fish driven by Twisted and Coiled Polymer Actuators at High Frequencies, 6th IEEE-RAS International Conference on Soft Robotics |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2023 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://data.bris.ac.uk/data/dataset/76pyal8dv5yn2w9fdhl6tlo2s/ |
Title | Data for hygroscopic actuators |
Description | Data supporting paper: A. Keller*, Q. Qi, Y*. Kumaresan, A. Conn, J. Rossiter, Biodegradable Humidity Actuators for Sustainable Soft Robotics using Deliquescent Hydrogels, IEEE RoboSoft 2023 |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2023 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://data.bris.ac.uk/data/dataset/1vctpyervo0il2f4zfqeo05rd6/ |
Title | Data for modular cellbot paper - RoboSoft 2023 |
Description | Included here are data to support the paper: Ridhi Bansal, Helmut Hauser, Jonathan Rossiter, Self-reconfiguring Soft Modular Cellbots, 2023 IEEE International Conference on Soft Robotics (RoboSoft) |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2023 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://data.bris.ac.uk/data/dataset/2xnkxqqa7r5cc2rwdauepmqkdq/ |
Title | Data for suction cup paper - ICRA-RAL 2022 |
Description | Data to support the paper: T. Yue, W. Si, AJ. Partridge, C. Yang, AT. Conn, H. Bloomfield-Gadêlha, J. Rossiter, A Contact-triggered Adaptive Soft Suction Cup, IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://data.bris.ac.uk/data/dataset/1d3nyztdx0vkw2kcdotlo4ezm0/ |
Title | Hydrogel-actuated Soft Sucker with Mucus Secretion |
Description | Data for publication: Hydrogel-actuated Soft Sucker with Mucus Secretion, Tianqi Yue, Alex Keller, Daniel Gosden, Hermes Bloomfield-Gadelha and Jonathan Rossiter, Proc. RoboSoft 2023, Singapore, 3-7 April 2023 |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2023 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://data.bris.ac.uk/data/dataset/2hzqiunnryl952q4acb9yf1va5/ |
Title | PNAS 2024 - multi-scale suckers |
Description | Included here are data to support the paper: Tianqi Yue, Weiyong Si, Alex Keller, Chenguang Yang, Hermes Bloomfield-Gadêlha and Jonathan Rossiter, Bioinspired multi-scale adaptive suction on complex dry surfaces enhanced by regulated water secretion, The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), 2024. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2024 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://data.bris.ac.uk/data/dataset/23biszw8gbq6y2rcpkmqonu923/ |
Title | Shape-Conformable Suction Cups |
Description | Included here are data to support the paper: Tianqi Yue, Hermes Bloomfield-Gadêlha and Jonathan Rossiter, Shape-Conformable Suction Cups for Adaptive Suction on Highly-curved Surfaces, IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2023 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://data.bris.ac.uk/data/dataset/3d1sge14ol61b2tfr4xyc37xti/ |
Title | data for calming hug paper |
Description | This data supports the paper titled: "A calming hug: Design and validation of a tactile aid to ease anxiety" Authors: Haynes, A., Lywood, A., Crowe, E., Fielding, J., Rossiter, J., Kent, C. Contact: alice.haynes@bristol.ac.uk ======================================== The paper has been accepted for publication in PLoS ONE. ======================================== |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2021 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://data.bris.ac.uk/data/dataset/3cyviafgeukvg2b7umuuxo6639/ |
Title | £D printing of soft thin tissues |
Description | Novel 3D printing method for manufacturing soft thin tissues |
Type | Therapeutic Intervention - Cellular and gene therapies |
Current Stage Of Development | Initial development |
Year Development Stage Completed | 2023 |
Development Status | Under active development/distribution |
Impact | n/a |
Description | BBC Bristol Radio interview on the LAZA flying robots |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Live interview on prime time BBC Bristol Radio to discuss the LAZA (Liquid Amplified Zipping Actuator) flapping wing robots and the future of safe ubiquitous flying robots. Result of work published in Science Robotics (02/2022). Broadcast to the BBC Bristol region. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | BBC Earth film "Would modern robots be possible without nature? - Inspired By Nature" |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Interview and filming at Bristol Robotics Laboratory for BBC Earth on the topic of future biomimetic robotics. Presents our research in the larger context of robots that are inspired by, and which mimic, natural organisms. International release through BBC Earth. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.facebook.com/bbcearth/videos/would-modern-robots-be-possible-without-nature-inspired-by-... |
Description | BBC Points West broadcast interview and article on the LAZA flying robots |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Live interview on prime time BBC West to demonstrate and discuss the LAZA (Liquid Amplified Zipping Actuator) flapping wing robots fabricated by the research team and published in Science Robotics (02/2022). Broadcast to the BBC West region. Also included specially recorded videos filmed at Bristol Robotics Laboratory. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | BBC Radio and Naked Scientist interview: Will robots become artificial organisms? |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Interview with the Naked Scientist podcast and BBC Radio Cambridgeshire on the topic of "Will robots become artificial organisms?". Based on the work of Rossiter on robotic artificial organisms. Discussed the challenges and consequences to health, environment, industry and society of robotic organisms. Naked Scientist podcast has a large international audience. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/interviews/will-robots-become-artificial-organisms |
Description | Co-organiser of Mapping the Future of Soft Robotics in Healthcare Conference |
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 | Approx. 90 people attended this international conferences held at Wimbledon (which I co-organised). Excellent conversations were sparked across the academic, clinical and regulatory audience. We further provided the opportunity for more junior researchers to bid for £3000 (provided by a medical industry delegate and not from this grant) towards a dragon's den style pitch format and allow them to build their own collaborations across 2 or more institutions (though related to soft robotics in some way). A website has been developed as a result and we are gauging interest for membership to build a community and an annual conference. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
URL | https://www.softroboticshealth.org.uk/conference/ |
Description | EMBO - Molly Stevens - Biomaterials to enhance stem cell differentiation in regeneration |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Prof Molly Stevens presented the talk "Biomaterials to enhance stem cell differentiation in regeneration" at the EMBO Conference "Molecular & Cellular Basis of Regeneration and Tissue Repair". The talk reached an international audience of scientists and postgraduate students. Barcelona, Spain, 27 Sept 2022 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Interview with Soft Robotics Podcast on flying micro robots |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Interview with the Soft Robotics Podcast by Jonathan Rossiter, discussing the state-of-the-art and future of flying micro robots and flapping wing robotics at the small scale. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE4R30LzwXI |
Description | Invited talk at ICRA 2022 on Determining Appropriate Metrics and Test Methods for Soft Actuators in Robotic Systems |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Invited talk entitled "Should you trust a soft robot? From actuation and energy metrics to trustworthiness in soft robotics" at the ICRA 2022 workshop on Determining Appropriate Metrics and Test Methods for Soft Actuators in Robotic Systems, 23 May 2022, Philadelphia, USA. Presenting our latest technology and user-centred approach to soft robotics in the context of trustworthy autonomous systems. A key challenge discussed is the measurement of trust given the common uncertainty of soft robotic behaviours and control. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://sites.google.com/andrew.cmu.edu/softactuatormetrics/ |
Description | Invited talk at the EPSRC UK-Swiss Mixed Reality in Soft Robotics |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Invited talk to the EPSRC UK-Swiss Mixed Reality in Soft Robotics workshop 8-9 December 2022, Cambridge UK. Presentation and discussion about the emerging use, and potential, for mixed reality in robotic systems with emphasis on soft robotics. Aiming to increase UK-Swiss collaboration. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://birlab.org/workshop-on-soft-robotics-for-mixed-reality/ |
Description | Invited talk to ICRA 2022 workshop on Leverating Advancements in Smart Materials Science |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | Invited talk at the ICRA 2022 workshop on Leveraging Advancements in Smart Materials Science: Soft Robots Gaining New Abilities Through Smart and Functional Materials, 27 May 2022, Philadelphia USA. Presenting talk entitled "From smart materials to trustworthy soft robots - flapping, gripping and squeezing" outlining our latest technologies to world leaders in soft robotics. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.spp2100.de/icra2022 |
Description | Invited talk to RoboSoft 2022 workshop on Embodied Intelligence |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Invited talk titled "Embodied Intelligent Organisms, Trustworthiness and Realismor, trusting your senses" at the RoboSoft 2022 workshop on Embodied Intelligence, 4 April 2022, Edinburgh, UK. A very dynamic even including talks, panel discussions and brainstorming how soft robotics can embrace more of the emerging field of embodied intelligence. Talks from leaders around the world. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://birlab.org/embodied-intelligence-workshop-in-robosoft-2022/ |
Description | Invited talk to the 2022 Cutting Edge Laryngology conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Invited talk to the Cutting Edge Laryngology 2022 conference, 22 September 2022, the conference of the British Laryngological Association. Talk title: From laryngeal dysfunction to power clothing - routes to restoring mobility and independence with soft robots. This provided an important platform for the presentation and discussion of our recent developments in implantable soft robotics to address unmet healthcare needs, here in the context of laryngeal dysfunction and wearable robotics. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.britishlaryngological.org/event/cutting-edge-laryngology-2022 |
Description | MRS Fall - Molly Stevens - Designing biomaterials to heal the body |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Prof Molly Stevens presented an invited talk at MRS Fall in the Symposium Responsive Nanomaterials for Theranostics and Tissue Engineering entitled " Designing biomaterials to heal the body", Boston USA, 19 Nov 2022 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Talk at 9th International Conference on Mechanics of Biomaterials and Tissue |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | An internationally organised conference at which I gave a talk. Attended by Nobel Laureate Frances Arnold and other leaders in the field. Talk sparked exciting conversations with new potential collaborations formed. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.elsevier.com/en-gb/events/conferences/all/international-conference-on-mechanics-of-bioma... |
Description | The Robot in Me |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Patients, carers and/or patient groups |
Results and Impact | An interactive exploration of people's views, thoughts and fears in relation to having a robot inside their body. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |