UWE Bristol with Milbotix Ltd have been successful in securing grant funding from Research England’s Regional Innovation Fund (RIF) to form a new 3.5-month project. The project will look at advancing the integration of kinematic and kinetic sensors for holistic healthcare monitoring in aging adults.
Milbotix was founded to improve access to digital technologies for people with unmet needs related to dementia and other neurocognitive diseases. Milbotix founder Zeke Steer conceived of the SmartSocks® after witnessing his great grandmother’s journey with dementia and escalating agitation and aggression.
This project seeks to collect a simulated falls dataset from healthy individuals using motion capture equipment and a range of wearable pressure and IMU devices including Milbotix’s SmartSock® prototype. This enhancement delivers precise falls detection and gait tracking capabilities. Our solution prioritizes safety with technological precision for older adults’ healthcare.
Professor Carlos Cifuentes, Associate Professor in Human-Robot Interaction, will be leading on this project. He is an expert in robotics and sensing technologies for gait assistance and rehabilitation, alongside human robot interaction. He has studied the clinical conditions and pathologies and the mechanisms stimulating the patients’ recovery and quality of life.
Ben Allen and Yikun Wang will join as associates on the project. Mr Allen is a current PhD student at Bristol Robotics Laboratory, and is a versatile electronics engineer, specialising in robotics, and Mr Wang holds an MSc degree in robotics and a BEng degree in Electronic Engineering, bringing expertise to the team in developing assistive robots for older adults.
The Regional Innovation Fund (RIF) is a program designed to support universities in developing innovative projects that have the potential to positively impact their local communities or regions. These funds are allocated by regional or national governments to encourage research, development and collaboration between universities and local industries to spur economic growth and innovation.
Contribution to the UN 2030 sustainable development goals
UWE Bristol is proud to align our research to the UN sustainable development goals. The above research aligns with the following goals:
