From fiction to reality: one of Wallace and Gromit's gadgets was re-imagined for real-life applications last year by engineers at The University of Bristol. But which one was it? (1/7)
#WallaceAndGromit
Answer: Robotic Trousers! Rather than allowing people to walk up walls, however, it's hoped that "The Right Trousers" will assist people with mobility issues
Muscle weakness can arise through ageing or a whole range of health conditions, making it harder for people to sit, stand and move around
The new technology can be sewn into clothing. It acts as 'artificial muscles', using electricity or air pressure to work together with the wearer's muscles. It's part of a growing discipline called soft robotics Image
Prof Jonathan Rossiter's team at @BristolUni developed the technology. Developing the trousers has made them strong advocates for inclusion and consultation in the design of assistive technologies
"The inclusion of focus groups of elderly people and people with disabilities... has given the engineers valuable information that they wouldn't have considered at first." says Prof Rossiter
Read the full story here: epsrc.ukri.org/blog/righttrou…

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More from @EPSRC

Oct 1, 2020
We’ve been listening to our communities’ concerns about diversity in EPSRC’s portfolio. As a first step in addressing one strand of this issue, we’ve published a detailed analysis of gender in our large grants portfolio (thread)
epsrc.ukri.org/newsevents/new…
It shows that underrepresentation of women remains one of our biggest equality, diversity and inclusion challenges
Key findings include:
Women are consistently underrepresented in our PI applicant pool, with application numbers particularly low for large grants
Award rates are similar for men and women, but award value is lower for women, with women consistently applying for smaller grants
Read 6 tweets
Sep 7, 2020
From walk-through cancer diagnosis to robotic muscles, six new projects aim to develop revolutionary new technology that transforms care and treatments in the NHS by 2050.

epsrc.ukri.org/newsevents/new…
A project led by @EdinburghUni aims to develop optical ‘X-Rays’ capable of walk-through diagnosis for conditions such as cancer, while the team at @BristolUni will develop artificial robotic muscular assistance to restore strength in people who have lost muscle capability.
At @EdinburghNapier, researchers aim to develop hearing aids that autonomously adapt to their surroundings, improving sound quality for the wearer. The project @UofGlasgow aim to develop tech that can remotely monitor healthcare markers to assess wellbeing from the home.
Read 5 tweets
Jan 15, 2020
If you're worried about microfibre release from your clothing, what's the best way to approach laundry? In the past few years, UKRI-funded research has highlighted the environmental damage caused by #microplastics, including tiny synthetic fibres from clothes. (Thread) Image
Some people have responded to this news by replacing their synthetic clothing with natural fibre alternatives, but this generates waste and uses lots of resources to make new clothing. Instead, taking better care of your existing clothes is probably a better long-term option.
New research funded by EPSRC has shown that the wash cycle you use has a huge effect on microfibre release. A 30 minute, 25 degree wash cycle released 52% less microfibre mass compared to 85 minutes at 40.
Read 5 tweets
Dec 18, 2019
This is a scaled-up model of the most expensive product in the world. No, not gold, diamonds or pixie dust, but nitrogen atom-based endohedral fullerenes – essentially a minuscule cage of carbon atoms, with a nitrogen atom inside. Price per gram? £110 million. /1 Image
What actually are they? Fullerenes are a type of carbon nanomaterial which, like graphene and carbon nanotubes, has unique physical properties leading to applications in areas as diverse as energy and medicine. /2
Why so expensive? Well fullerenes are very difficult to make. You also need specialist lab equipment. Fortunately, you don’t have to buy a whole gram for them to work their magic - £22,000 will get you a 200 microgram sample from Designer Carbon Materials /3
Read 8 tweets

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