EDS UK Trustee attends soft robotics seminar

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• 31 January, 2025

Future tech could aid EDS mobility needs

EDS UK Trustee Anne Lavery told a meeting of disability tech researchers about the practical needs of people living with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. She was speaking as part of a lived experience panel at a seminar exploring the design and application of softrobotics for people with disabilities. The assembled group of engineers, designers and healthcare professionals were keen to understand what our real world needs and aspirations were.

Still in its infancy, softrobotics may hold the key to providing comfortable, wearable, assistive technology for doing basic physical tasks. Prof Jonathon Rossiter of Bristol University spoke of a new 6 year initiative called The VIVO Hub which brings together a multidisciplinary team across several institutions to explore the potential of this exciting area. The Hub states its focus will on on ‘restoring essential mobility functions, including sit-to-stand, walking and standing and treating secondary con

ditions which limit mobility or increase risks of falls, including venous insufficiency, lymphedema and orthostatic hypotension.’

At the UCL-hosted seminar called Is Soft Robotics the Future of Assistive Technology, a set of researchers showcased a prototype pneumatic glove providing the ability to grip which our trustee was able to try on. Another invention in development was food which essentially moves down the gullet of its own accord for people who are unable to swallow.

The lived experience panel emphasised the importance of future assistive technology being equitable and available on the NHS

. Prof Richard Bibb who specialises in the design of medical aids, said that 3-D printing could be instrumental in bringing down costs. Our trustee also urged designers to make the scale of assistance controllable and include biofeedback elements to help with proprioception.

Prof Rossiter warned that it will take much longer than six years to yield significantly impactful technology. However in these early development stages he is keen to include feedback from the EDS community.