Royal Free Charity | Charity role in robotic clothes study

Charity role in robotic clothes study

15 October 2024 
The Royal Free Charity is helping a groundbreaking £12 million research project that could revolutionise mobility for people with disabilities and age-related challenges. 

The VIVO Hub for Enhanced Independent Living will explore how robotic clothing and AI-driven technology could give millions of people the freedom to move more easily and safely, regain their independence and improve their quality of life.

The project – led by top researchers and NHS teams including experts from UCL and the Royal Free London – has secured £12 million in funding from the UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to make this a reality.

Jon Spiers, Royal Free Charity chief executive, said:

With nearly seven million people in the UK facing mobility issues linked to age or disability, this project has the potential to create life-changing healthcare technologies, offering a very different future for those whose independence has been limited.

The project will develop:

  • robotic clothing that ​‘puts itself on and takes itself off’
  • wearable devices to combat orthostatic hypertension, a type of high blood pressure that can lead to dizziness and increase the risk of falls
  • wearable robotic assistance systems using digital monitoring to support sitting-to-stand, stair climbing and safe standing
  • systems such as lightweight, on-body energy storage and power delivery systems to allow greater independence outside the home

The charity will support the project with patient and public involvement and engagement activities. This will include helping prioritise research questions and helping with consultations on early-stage ideas.

Project lead Professor Jonathan Rossiter, from the University of Bristol’s faculty of science and engineering, explained: 

Imagine robotic clothing that puts itself on in the morning, helps prevent falls, and detects when the wearer is walking up stairs and automatically gives them a power boost.

“Our ambitious vision is to redefine how we think of clothing. Smart robotic clothing is not just for fashion and warmth, but also provides health monitoring, physical assistance, rehabilitation, helping to restore an active and independent life.”

Led by the University of Bristol, the VIVO Hub brings together expertise from UCL, the University of the West of England, Imperial College London, and the University of Strathclyde. 

The project has been awarded an £11 million grant from the EPSRC and £847,000 in partner funding.

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