Page 13 - Doing Data Together by The Scotsman

SPRING: FOWARDS TO BETTER SOCIAL COHESION
Can social robots help connect people with each other, and healthcare professionals, as they get older?
SPRING, a European Horizon 2020 project – and the first announced by the National Robotarium – hopes they can.
Professor Oliver Lemon of Heriot-Watt University says: “Research shows careful use of robots in group settings
can have a positive impact
on health, such as decreased stress and loneliness, and improved mood and sociability.
“Robot companionship has long-term potential to better connect people with each other. Social robots could improve both psychological wellbeing and relationships between patients and hospital professionals.”
Lemon adds: “Overcoming the limitations of current social robots raises numerous
scientific and technological challenges.” But he maintains that they have the potential to create tremendous social impact and economic value.
The technology – which builds on the success of Heriot-Watt University’s Amazon Alexa Prize conversational AI system and spin-out company Alana – is touch and hands-free so will reduce the spread of infection.
SPRING (Socially Pertinent Robots in Gerontological Healthcare) is part of a multi- million-pound collaboration, funded by Horizon2020
and involving experts from Scotland, France, Italy, Czech Republic, Israel and Spain. It fuses research into conversational AI, computer vision, machine learning and human-robot interaction, alongside human behaviour analysis and robot control.
The work will focus on helping social robots understand individual and group situations and to make appropriate decisions, such as identifying and prioritising patients who have been waiting alone for a long time or who might be anxious.
The social robots will engage in face-to-face conversation with patients, family members, and staff.
LIVING LAB WORKS TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE
The challenges of caring for vulnerable people with specific needs have been highlighted by the Covid-19 pandemic – and a National Robotarium project is looking to address them.
The project will initially support priority groups
whose conditions have
been compounded by social isolation, including people with multi-morbidity conditions, disabilities, and those in acute stages of mental ill health.
Heriot-Watt is the base for a world-first “living lab” to research and create solutions for Ambient Assisted Living (OpenAAL) – concepts, products and services combining new technologies and the social environment to improve quality of life.
The “living lab” will target practical solutions using
a range of technologies
to enable non-intrusive
monitoring of behaviour and vital signs, detect patterns and trends in behaviour, support decision-making and risk assessment, aid communication and social connectedness, and provide social, cognitive and physical assistance.
The project is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and has support from NHS Lothian, The Digital Health and Care Institute, Blackwood Home and Care Group, Consequential Robotics, Alcuris, Cyberselves and
The Data Lab – Scotland’s innovation centre for data and AI.
Dr Mauro Dragone, assistant professor at Heriot-Watt University and OpenAAL project lead, says: “There is huge potential to unify efforts and provide better support to the nation’s most vulnerable.
We have the opportunity to tackle current challenges head-on, but also establish long-term, cost-effective solutions to wider challenges.
“Successful innovation in this field is crucial to alleviate the strain on our health and social care services. Our priority is solutions which are practical and feasible, so they can be quickly implemented in the face of challenging social and economic conditions.”
The OpenAAL lab, launched in July, will use Digital Twin, Internet of Things and Cloud technology to provide a platform where researchers, industry and care providers, and end users of assisted living services, can co-create technology.
As the project expands, it
is hoped it will be used for global collaboration, removing time and distance barriers to research and innovation.
structures above and below the water.
As robots start to enter our everyday lives, Hastie insists it is vital that an ethical dimension underpins the work.
She says: “Responsible research and innovation is embedded
in all our programmes – and as robots move into more home and workplace settings, that raises fundamental issues about how robots interact safely with humans, in terms of the environment and physical interaction.
“Robots have a certain amount of autonomy but ultimately there
is a human in the loop – and
we are researching the
best way for humans and robots to work seamlessly together.”
During the coronavirus pandemic, teams have utilised Digital Twin technology
to develop and test prototypes from their homes
before progressing to testing
in the real world. This makes it much faster to re-purpose smart machines for new applications
or customers. Achieving this increases resilience to large economic shocks, and creates new market opportunities.
Smart machines can play an essential role improving our resilience in the low-touch economy of our post-Covid world.
They can assist humanity by disinfecting hospitals, moving and organising goods in warehouses, maintaining offshore energy
infrastructures and supporting surgical
procedures.
“This work isn’t
about superhuman robots running
our lives,” Hastie comments. “But robotics as an economic and
social driver,
with research, innovation
and business
delivering real benefits for
society.”
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